Christmas Pavlova

Pavlova any time is delicious, but Christmas Pavlova is extra-special!   This has sherry in the cream, and is topped with bright jewel-coloured fruits and caramelised walnuts - perfect for Christmas.  I've chosen to use brown sugar in the meringue, so it has a darker flavour, and is slightly more chewy than the usual crispness you associate with Pavlova.    Perfect for those left-over egg whites!   You can either do one large pudding, or several individual ones (pictured below), which look so pretty on the plate.

Christmas Pavlova

Christmas Pavlova

3 egg whites
6oz/150g light brown soft sugar
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla 

Topping:

At least half pint double cream, whipped with 2 tbsp sherry

2 or 3 clementines

1 pomegranate

1oz/25g walnut halves

1oz/25g butter

1oz/25g soft brown sugar

Oven - 150 deg C, turning down to 140 deg C when it goes in

Use a flat baking tray with a sheet of silicone parchment.   Whisk egg whites until thick, add sugar slowly, whisking all the while.  Finally add the vinegar, cornflour and vanilla.    Spread onto the baking sheet in a circle roughly the size of a plate, or small circles for individual Pavlovas.    Bake for about an hour, then turn off the oven and leave the Pavlova inside.    It should be dry.  Sometimes I turn it over and put it back in for a bit longer.  

Peel off the paper, put onto a large plate/individual plates, and then get decorating.  

Whip the cream with the sherry, and put a good layer on the top of the pavlova.   Fry the butter and sugar together for a moment or two so the butter is bubbling through and the sugar started to melt, and gently caramelise the walnuts.   Peel the clementines (tip – just do the side parts and cut away the skin where it meets the base) and put segments on the pavlova, together with pomegranate pieces, then finally the walnuts.

 If you leave it for a few hours, the cream makes the meringue soften in the most delicious way.