Chocolate peanut butter pavlova and the basics

The first time I tasted Pavlova was on our honeymoon in New Zealand. We were floating in a small boat on Doubtful Sound. It was a peaceful evening as we settled at the communal tables with the other travelers. Surrounded by nothing but the quietness of nature and the deep darkness of night it was one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had.

And that pavlova was one of the most magical things I’ve ever eaten. A crunchy beautiful cloud topped with cream and fruit. From afar it might just look like a big meringue with toppings, but a great pavlova is so much more.

When we got back I started researching how to make it, top it, and serve it. That was in 2009 so there wasn’t a lot online about how to perfectly make this delicate dessert. So I reached out to a friend from New Zealand to see what she could tell me.

Pavlova is a key part of traditions in both Australia and New Zealand, especially around the holidays. Many families enjoy it at Christmas which is summer for them. My mind is already spinning with ideas for a wintery pavlova. But back to my friend and her recipe.

She was nice enough to share her recipes with me and tell me about how her family traditionally served pavlova. Whether making a large platter size version or individual clouds they should come out with a crunchy shell and a marshmallowy center.

The key to getting this combination of textures is letting your pavlova cool slowly. Once it is done cooking you simply turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in the oven as it cools down. If you peek you risk making the clouds deflate. A flat pavlova is not fun at all.

As for toppings, most people serve them with homemade whipped topping, fruits, and maybe a drizzle of chocolate or fruit sauce. But really you can top it with whatever you fancy. Just a few ideas to get you going:

If you decide to add something to your whipped cream just make sure it is at room temp or cooler.

As for size, we make it in individual servings so we can save some of the meringues for later. If you top it you can’t really save it so we don’t usually make a large one unless we are hosting a group of people. Just remember the size of your pavlova will affect your bake time. Usually larger pavlovas take closer to 90 minutes while smaller ones take around 45 minutes. However you decide to it, just remember not to peek too much.

Here is our current favorite recipe. You can use the pavlova base and whipped cream recipe to dream up your own combinations. Have fun and enjoy a sweet little taste of the South Pacific.

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