Black forest pavlova
Donal Skehan's in the This Morning kitchen to show us how to make a fruity winter pavlova - perfect if you're looking for a treat for the weekend!
(Serves: 8)
Ingredients:
For the meringue
250g icing sugar4 egg whites2 tsp of cornflour1 tsp white wine vinegar3 tbsp cocoa powder
For the filling and topping:
750ml of cream, whipped2 tbsp of icing sugar, sifted3 tbsp kirsch (optional - you can replace with the cherry syrup)500g jar of cherries in syrup (morello) or 1 tin of black cherries100g dark chocolate, thick shavings75g hazelnuts, skinless, toasted, blitzed to a rough dust
You'll need:
Baking trays x 2Parchment paperStand alone mixer or hand held whiskLarge mixing bowl
Method:
Preheat the oven to 150C/300˚F/Gas Mark 2
Line two bakingtrays with baking parchment. Draw a large circle 22cm/8inch roughly on each piece of parchment paper.
Place the icing sugar and egg whites in a standing food mixer and whisk on high for 10 minutes until glossy white peaks form
Using a spatula, gently fold in the cocoa powder, cornflour and the white wine vinegar
Divide the meringue mixture between the two baking trays and using a tablespoon, form two large meringue discs
Bake for 45 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely
Whip the cream with the icing sugar until quite firm, make sure to not over-whip it, then fold through the kirsch
Drain the cherries over a small saucepan to reserve the cherry juice. Reduce over a medium heat until you are left with a thick, pourable mixture. Set aside to cool completely.
Assemble the pavlova by placing a layer on a cake stand and topping with half the cream. Add the next layer of meringue and then top with the remaining cream.
Decorate with the drained cherries, sprinkle over the chocolate shavings, toasted hazelnuts and drizzle with the reduced cherry juice and serve straight away