Crown Pavlova

This dessert is named after the beautiful ballerina Anna Pavlova who was born near Saint Petersburg, Russia on a cold winter's day in 1881.  She lived an utterly decorative life on and off stage often wearing headdresses made from jewels, feathers and flowers. I couldn't agree more that she be immortalised in such a lovely dessert.

Below I made a Pavlova Crown and bejeweled it with pomegranate seeds surrounded by mint leaves on a bed of cardamom cream. It is the kind of dessert that is other worldly like that from a past time so long forgotten that it becomes all the more fascinating to have a remnant in your midst. My inspiration in decorating came from wanting to capture the heart of the time period  in which Anna Pavlova began her dancing career around 1899. Nature motifs covered everything from clothes, to food, to interior design, which is why I've chosen to keep some of my decorations in true form.  Now all I need is an art noveau table with brass candlesticks dripping wax as the backdrop for my crown.

A few weeks ago I was interviewed by my hair doppelganger Deniz from Photostorming Blog and I realised then that I find much more inspiration for creating recipes like this one outside of the realm of food than I ever knew.  You can read more from the interview here and be sure to check out the rest of  Deniz's beautiful world of fashion, food and travel!

Crown Pavlova

recipe adapted from Annabel Karmel
fill with your favourite ingredients
serves 6-8

4 egg whites at room temperature (120 grams)
1 cup golden caster sugar (200 grams)

optional bits: 
natural food colouring 
*filling

Preheat the oven to 320F/160C/140CFan. On baking paper draw a circle that is 20 centimeters in diameter (roughly 8 inches). Trim the baking paper to lay flat on a baking tray.

The following few steps for making meringue take roughly ten minutes depending on your mixer. Next start making the meringue crown by beating the egg whites on medium speed in a very clean bowl until they form soft peaks. Then begin adding sugar one tablespoon at a time until the meringue forms stiff peaks. This means when you take out your beater and turn it upside down the egg white stands up straight. Set aside a quarter of the mixture to be piped at the end. With the remaining meringue cover the circle to make a base. Build up the sides with more meringue. Put the reserved mixture in a piping bag fitted with a fluted nozzle and pipe rosettes around your base (begin by piping a circle and spiral upwards). With a toothpick dipped in food colouring gently draw lines on the meringue.

Turn the oven temperature down to 300F/150C/130CFan and bake for 1 hour.  Turn off the oven and leave for one more hour. 

*After the meringue is cool you can fill it with the cream and/or custard and fresh fruit. I used 1 1/3 cups of heavy/double cream (300 ml) and  folded in 1/4 teaspoon each of freshly ground cardamom and rosewater. I sprinkled half of a large pomegranate over the top surrounded by mint leaves. Purists may argue that you can't make your base in advance, but I made mine the night before and kept it fresh in a cold closed oven until the next day. This is the kind of dessert that needs to be eaten soon after it's completely assembled, but like any dessert, I don't think that will be a problem!

Anna Pavlova