by Camilla Ridley
Alice pictured here with her festive pavlova wearing our Ridley London Livia midi dress which can be tailored to flatter in a selection of sumptuous silk velvets
I love pavlova as a Christmas dessert, because sometimes after a big meal with all the trimmings, you don't always crave something heavy like a Christmas pudding! It's also relatively quick to make in terms of hands on time, and can be made in advance, which I think is key as there is so much going on around Christmas dinner, you don't want to have to worry about one more thing to go in the oven! I would prepare this a few days beforehand in the evening, leave it to cool in the oven overnight, and then store it in an airtight container until you want to serve it. Then simply top with cream and fruit of your choice, drizzle over the delicious fruit coulis, and you have the perfect way to finish dinner!
Meringue:
200g egg whites (about 6 large eggs)
325g caster sugar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp vanilla
Toppings:
300g raspberries
60g caster sugar
Zest ½ orange
400ml double cream
raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, redcurrants, sliced oranges and rosemary to decorate
Icing sugar to dust
1. Preheat the oven to 110°C
2. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and add the vinegar.
3. Add the sugar 1 tsp at a time until thick and glossy.
4. Mix in the cornflour and vanilla.
5. Line a baking tray and fill a piping bag fitted with a nozzle with the meringue and secure the paper to the baking tray with a little bit of the mixture.
6. Pipe rings of meringue in a circle to form a wreath. Each ring should have enough space to fill with cream and fruit.
7. Bake for 11/2 hours.
8. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool fully to avoid cracking.
9. Heat the raspberries and sugar until the berries go soft and it just starts to bubble. Sieve to remove seeds and pulp, and leave to cool
11. Whip the cream to soft peaks, and pipe into the wells of the meringue.
12. Top with the fruit and coulis, and dust with icing sugar!
Ridley London's new collection of special Christmas dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and knitwear is available to purchase online and in Ridley's Barnes store. Celebrate your individuality this season with a unique piece that's individually crafted to flatter from your choice of any of our stunning new printed floral or solid silks or cottons. Or call us to arrange a virtual fitting:
Ridley London, 82 Church Road, Barnes, London SW13 0DQ T: 01730 823097