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Nana's Pavlova

Simple and traditional. This pavlova recipe has been a favourite in my family for years.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Cooling Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: baking, Blueberries, chantilly, Christmas, Christmas Cooking, Christmas Recipe, cream, dessert, Eggs, meringue, Nana In Your Pocket, Nana's Pavlova, nanainyourpocket, Pavlova, recipe, traditional christmas, Xmas
Servings: 12 serves
Cost: $

Equipment

  • Electric Mixer
  • Measuring spoons and cups
  • large bowl
  • Baking Tray

Ingredients

Pavlova Shell

  • 6 egg whites separated, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups caster sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp vinegar
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla essence

Chantilly Cream

  • 250 ml thickened cream
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • ¼ tsp vanilla essence

Sugared Blueberries

  • 2-3 punnets fresh blueberries
  • 1 egg white separated, at room temperature
  • 1 cup caster sugar

Instructions

Pavlova Shell

  • Preheat oven to a slow 160°C (150° Fan Forced)
  • Separate the egg whites and put aside the egg yolks to use for another recipe. They can be used to make a beautiful Lemon Curd, which would be lovely in place of the cream on top of this pavlova. There's something special about Lemon Curd and Blueberries - a marriage made in heaven.
  • Whip up the egg whites until soft peaks form, which hold there shape when you pull the mixing blades away.
  • 1-2 tbsp at a time, add caster sugar, mixing thoroughly between each addition. You should mix it until you can barely feel any sugar when you take a bit and rub between your thumb and 1st finger. Then you will know it's time to add some more sugar. Continue adding sugar in this way until all sugar is mixed in.
  • Add vanilla and vinegar and mix through well. At this point, if you would like to colour your pavlova, add a few drops of food colouring - pale pink always looks lovely.
  • Scoop mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. The key to a good pavlova shape is to scoop up the sides of the mixture and to leave a small indentation in the top of the pavlova to hold the filling. Always make the pavlova a little taller and a little skinnier that the end shape you want as it will spread just a little when cooking.
  • Bake in a slow oven for 45 minutes. When time is up, turn off the oven, don't open the oven door and leave the pavlova in the oven until completely cool. I usually cook my pavlova at night and leave in the oven overnight to completely cool
  • When cooled, decorate as desired.

Chantilly Cream

  • In the bowl of your electric mixer, pour the cream, add the sugar and vanilla. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Don't over-whip as the cream will curdle and you will need to start again. I usually slow down the mixer towards the end and stop and check the cream very often as it is starting to stiffen to ensure this doesn't happen.
  • Pile the whipped Chantilly Cream on top of the pavlova and add blueberries on top. You can serve this with the plain blueberries, sugared blueberries (see below) or simply sprinkle icing sugar over them just before serving. This always looks pretty.

Sugared Blueberries (optional)

  • Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Whisk 1 egg white until just foamy.
  • Brush the blueberries with the egg white, then roll them in caster sugar
  • Place the blueberries on the baking paper to dry. Use them to decorate the pavlova.

Notes

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I may earn a commission. Please keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and because I genuinely use and/or like them, and not because of any commission I may receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Lemon Curd
If you're like me, you won't want to waste those egg yolks and my Lemon Curd recipe is the perfect way to use them up. 
You might also like my Eggnog Cheesecake or my Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake. There is some strong debating in our family over which of these cheesecakes is better. Maybe you could try them both and let me know in the comments below which is your favourite. Then I could tell hubby he was wrong - haha!
Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake
Eggnog Cheesecake
Let me know in the comments below if you tried this and don't forget to tag me on Instagram (nana_in_your_pocket) and Facebook (@nanainyourpocket)