After the Yolk

Last year - way, way, back in January of 2008, I resolved not to make any resolutions (utter waste of time). Instead, I was to adopt a 'rule' for the year. A mantra, of sorts, that would shape new habits (thus making me a much better person!). I banned any grand statements that started with "I shalt...", and aimed for a subtle change that would be long-lasting (the irony of my mantra being a resolution by another name, was not lost on me!).

So, scrawled on the kitchen blackboard - prominently displayed for me to see every day - were the words:

Spend less

Waste less

Do more

My blackboard scrawl is in-decipherable to most, but I knew what was there.

And it worked.

I saw those words everyday, and over time it became it did become a habit to check prices, question the necessity of more 'things', think before ditching stuff, and get off my butt.

Of course, the encouragement to "spend less" came from tallying up the credit cards ("how much ?????.... how did that happen???!!!!"). But the "waste less" felt pretty damn good, and "do more" made me feel virtuous.

Now, to get to the point... after spending the last few days making ice cream and other yolk-requiring desserts, I had a fridge full of egg-whites. What's a girl to do? "Waste less" remember, so it was off to make a 'pav' of course.

(I considered trying my hand at Angel cake, but the recipe called for 20 whites... 20! Sheesh!).

I've never succeeded at pavlovas. Or meringues. And my first attempt today was hideous. Brown instead of white, all crunch no marshmallow, and sort of dissolved into a sticky mess in the mouth. (No, I'm not going to show a picture, it's just too embarrassing).

Right. Obviously the oven was way, way to hot.

So, I found another recipe. This time for mini pavlovas, cooked in small springform tins, and tried again.

Mini springform tins are fabulous for creating small desserts. There is something impressive about serving up individual cheesecake or pavlova, dressed to kill with fruit, cream or such-like. It looks like you have gone to so much effort, and yet it requires no more of you, than a single large one.

For this recipe you will need 6 of them, lined on the bottom with circles of baking paper.


For these pavlovas I did use the mixer. Lovely, luscious, thick, satiny beaten egg-whites. The only way you will get me to eat raw egg whites!!

This is 6 egg-whites, beaten until the 'stiff peak' stage, then 1 1/4 cup of caster sugar, 1 tbsp cornflour, and 1 tbsp white vinegar, gradually added. Beat until the sugar is dissolved, then stop.


The mixture is spooned into the tins, leaving a little space at the top.


The recipe required the pavs to go into a 200 degree oven for 5 minutes, then reducing the temp. to 100 degrees, and baking for another 45 minutes.

As you can see my tops went a bit brown doing this (and I only had the oven at 180). Then I had to open the door of the oven to help it cool down quickly.

It seems to me the trickiest part with cooking pavlovas and meringues, is figuring out - by trial and error unfortunately - the best cooking conditions for your oven.

Next time I will set the oven at 120 degrees and cook at that temp for about 45mins.


On a positive note... my little pavlovas did have good squishy marshmallow, and topped with whipped cream, fresh blueberries and passionfruit, they were very yum. Not too big - as you can see they were only about 3cm high - and that delicious contrast of crunchy top and marshmallow body.

I will cook these again... and even feel confident to add them to a dinner party menu. They are definitely HH, since they can be made a day ahead and kept in an air-tight container... without the cream, obviously.