Australian cuisine

The Pavlova

There is a cake named in honour of the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova which originated in Australia. It is now a very popular dessert not only in Australia and New Zealand but in many countries. It is also affectionally called the pav.

The first recipe

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 cup of superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar 1 tablespoon corn starch
half pint whipped cream
kiwi fruit or strawberries or passionfruit

Method:
Place egg whites in a clean glass bowl. Beat slowly until frothy, then increase the speed and beat until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each edition. (When all the sugar has been added, the mixture should be shiny, very stiff, and should stand in peaks.) Gently fold in the vinegar and corn starch with a metal spoon.

Line a cookie sheet with brown paper (from a bag) and grease it lightly. Pile the meringue mixture on it; it should form a cylinder about 30 cm in diameter and 7 cm high. Preheat the oven to just under 150 degrees Centigrade. Bake the pav for between 90 and 105 minutes. When cooked, leave the oven door ajar and allow the pav to cool inside. When cold, peel off the paper and transfer to a serving platter. Just before serving, top with the whipped cream and fruit.

The second recipe

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon cold water
1 cup castor sugar 1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 teaspoons cornflour

Method:
Beat egg whites until stiff, add cold water and beat again. Add castor sugar gradually while still beating. Slow beater and add vinegar, vanilla and cornflour. Place greased paper on greased tray and bake at 150 degrees C (300 F) for 45 minutes, then leave to cool in the oven.

The third recipe

Ingredients:
$15
A bag
Bicycle

Method:
Ride bicycle down to supermarket, buy pavlova with $15, place in a bag. Ride home. Remove pavlova from the bag, place in cold oven. When quests arrive, remove from oven and say "Look at this pav I've just made!".

(From "Australia and New Zealand in brief" by V.V. Oshchepkova)