[ Equipment: convection oven (preferred) or other LTB oven, baking sheet. For more information about the terminology in this recipe, see Low Temperature Baking: A Journey of 3 Paths ].
Between the 2 kinds of meringue cakes, Pavlova and angel food, the Pavlova had the advantage of being easier to prepare, or so I thought. Over the months, I baked many, varying the amounts of cornstarch, lemon juice, flavorings, all-sugar vs. sucralose-sugar blends, preparation procedures. The crust on a typical Pavlova sinks and cracks as it cools. The version presented here has a thinner crust that cracks only a little and doesn't sink much at all.
The picture above shows a maple Pavlova meringue with substantial cracking and sinking. The main differences between it and this recipe are the amount of cornstarch - only half as much in the Ginger cake and the reduced baking time - 30 minutes less for the ginger cake. Less cornstarch didn't appreciably alter the taste of the meringue (it still had the starchy characteristic of a Pavlova), but it did help the meringue hold its shape longer in the cooler oven. More cornstarch seemed to create a slicker batter.
Another reason for the spreading appeared to be the fact that I mixed in granulated white sugar instead of the caster sugar specified in almost all recipes. Granulated sugar didn't dissolve quickly, and the left-over grains may have caused the structure of whipped egg whites to collapse under heat. My solution was to add the sugar while the whites were still liquid, before they began drying out from the suspension of air bubbles from the whipping. The maple meringue also contained 100% sugar, which may have contributed to the fragile crispness that dammed batter as it formed.
Having said all that, the batter spread made larger disks of meringue, which could then serve more people. One time, it came out in a 10=inch round that was about 3/8-inch thick (see picture above). It easily could serve 8 by piling more fruit and whipped cream over it. The batter in this recipe resists spreading. The ginger cake started out as a 5-1/2 round and came out measuring 7 inches in diameter. For a larger cake, make a larger round with the meringue before baking.
The Pavlova is fat-free, gluten-free and low sugar. In place of the fat-free Cool Whip topping, I would beat evaporated skimmed milk until thick and then sweeten it with sucralose to taste. Those who don't like no=calorie sweeteners could increase the amount of granulated white sugar to 1/2 cup.
Makes 4 servings (up to 8 servings - see text)
- 130 calories per serving (4 servings)
- Oven Temperature: 250°F/121°C
Meringue Cake:
- 3 large egg whites (room temperature)
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar + 8 packets sucralose or 1/2 cup sugar (see text)
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 packet sucralose (see text)
- 1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 banana, sliced
- 1 cup no-fat sweetened whipped cream or no-fat Cool Whip topping
1. In a heatproof dish, lightly mash 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries.
2. Add powdered ginger, sucralose and mix.
3. In a small dish, mix the cornstarch and water. Add to the blueberries and stir.
4. Microwave on HIGH for about 1-1/2 minutes until thickened.
5. Cool for a few minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries. Set aside.
Pavlova Method:
1. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, lemon juice and salt until foamy.
2. Beat in sugar or sugar-sucralose blend in 3 or 4 portions and beat to the soft peak stage. Then add vanilla extract and beat to the stiff peak stage. Egg whites should still be glossy but not wet.
Note: granulated white sugar will not dissolve completely in stiffly beaten egg whites. Add the sugar at the foamy stage only or substitute a finely ground sugar.
3. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, ginger, chili powder until well combined. Fold mixture into the egg whites.
4. Set a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet or cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently spoon the egg white batter onto the baking sheet and shape into 5-1/2 inch round. The top should be slightly concave.
The pavlova will spread a little as it bakes. In my oven, a 5-1/2 inch disk of meringue evens out to about 7-inches.
5. Bake at 250°F/121°C for 30 minutes. If the base of the meringue cake is a golden brown and will burn, reduce heat to 200°F/93°C and continue baking for another 30 - 45 minutes, until the surface of the cake is dry and the sides are lightly golden. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the oven.
If the cooled cake feels soggy on the surface, dry it out in a 200°F/93°C for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Transfer the pavlova to a serving plate.
7. Cover the top of the cake with a layer of sliced bananas.
8. Spread on a layer of no-fat whipped cream or whipped topping.
9. Pour the ginger-blueberry sauce and blueberries over the whipped cream. Slice and serve.
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