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Australian Custard Top Pavlova
Australian Custard Top Pavlova
- Preparation time 135 mins
- Serves 4 people
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The eternal debate - is pavlova really from Australia or New Zealand? Regardless, this classic dessert can be found at many a celebration year round in Australian households. This recipe from Adam Liaw, balances the sweet with the tangy by creating a custard for the top of your pavlova so your egg yolks don't go to waste.
Ingredients
PAVLOVA
4 egg whites
1½ cups (330g) caster sugar
1 tbs cornflour
¼ tsp cream of tartar
a pinch of salt
an assortment of fruits to top the pavlova
THICK EGG CUSTARD
500ml thick yoghurt
500ml full-cream milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1 tbs cornflour
75g caster sugar
Method
- Heat your oven to 110C. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle in the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until glossy. About halfway through adding the sugar, stir the cornflour, cream of tartar and salt into the sugar and continue adding. Beat for a further 10 minutes after all the sugar has been added. (The whole process should take about 15-20 minutes and you should not be able to feel any grains of sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers.)
- Lay a piece of baking paper onto a baking sheet and spread the meringue onto the baking paper in a 20cm circle (If you keep adding meringue to the centre and pushing it down it will form an attractive natural edge to the pavlova.) Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes and then turn off the oven, allowing the pavlova to cool for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
- For the custard, place the yoghurt into a cloth-lined sieve and drain for about 2 hours until the yoghurt is very thick. Place the milk and vanilla in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy. Whisk in the cornflour, then add the simmering cream and return the mixture to the pot and continue whisking until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat and cover with plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Allow to cool completely, whisk through the thick yoghurt until smooth.
- Top the pavlova with the custard mixture, then top with fruits to serve.
