Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Easy Pavlova Made with Powdered Egg Whites




This is my husband’s favorite dessert.  It is an easy and relatively healthy treat.  We sometime substitute a pureed fruit sauce for the whipped cream, making it even healthier.

I wondered how the powdered egg white version would compare to using fresh egg whites so I made one of each.   In the photo below they look a little different but most of that is due to my spreading of the beaten egg whites.   The taste and texture are very similar.  My husband could not tell the difference.  
I must say using the powdered egg whites were much easier to use.  


 
 
Easy Pavlova
adapted from:  allrecipes.com

Printable Recipe

8 tsp egg white powder plus ⅓ cup water.
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pint heavy cream, whipped and sweetened
6 kiwi, peeled and sliced or fruit of your choice--we really like peaches

1.  Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment paper.
2.  In a large bowl, beat egg white powder and water until stiff but not dry. Gradually add in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Over beaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients.  Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornstarch.
3.  Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.
4.  Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
5.  Remove the paper, and place meringue on a flat serving plate. Fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream, sweetened if desired. Top whipped cream with kiwifruit slices.