How to make brown sugar pavlova: dial down the sweetness on this classic dessert from Down Under
- The meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit combo adds a hint of molasses by using brown sugar
- Passion fruit is a must-have to balance out the sweetness of the meringue
Rightly or wrongly, pavlova is the dessert I and many others associate with Australia and New Zealand. Yes, I know there are other famous desserts Down Under but this is so popular there that there are even pavlova instant mixes.
Brown sugar pavlova
My main complaint about pavlova is that it is too sweet. This version, which was taught to me by my Australian former food stylist Rachael Macchiesi, uses brown sugar instead of white. Brown sugar contains a small amount of molasses, which has a dark, slightly bitter flavour, making the pavlova a little less sweet. For the topping, you can use different types of fresh fruit, although berries seem to be most popular. The passion fruit is essential, however, because its tartness balances the sweetness of the meringue. When buying passion fruit, choose ones that feel heavy and have soft, slightly wrinkled shells.
The meringue doesn’t take long to prepare, but it takes several hours to bake and then slowly cool in the oven, so give yourself plenty of time. If you are making this dessert on a humid day, store the meringue in the turned-off oven until it is time to assemble and serve. Instead of being crisp and dry, as with most other meringues, a pavlova meringue has a slightly chewy texture from the addition of a small amount of vinegar.
125 grams egg whites, at room temperature
¼ tsp fine sea salt
135 grams light brown sugar, such as muscovado
10 grams cornflour
