Pavlova in a Glass

Or, in the UK it is also known as an Eton Mess! But to an Aussie, anything with a baked meringue is always going to be called a Pavlova.

I was inspired by a favourite blog, Pink Patisserie, which posted a recipe for a Rhubarb Eton Mess this morning, and having every single ingredient on hand already, I knew it was the perfect dessert to make tonight. Baby M and I had dinner with another mum and bub friend down the street tonight, and we just had a low-key dinner, but I wanted to take a little treat for dessert that would be easily transportable and not be too fussy to prepare.

I bought fresh rhubarb and strawberries on the weekend and have been waiting for the perfect way to use them. I love love LOVE a good pavlova and when I saw this Eton Mess post, I knew it would be such a fun way to present it. I am not the most patient of all people either, so when I get something in my head that I want to do, it pleases me endlessly to be able to follow through that same day!

There are three components to this dessert, the meringues, chantilly cream and stewed fruit.

Ingredients
3 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 t cornflour
1 t vanilla
1 t white vinegar
Rhubarb stalks
Strawberries
3 T caster sugar
300ml double cream (whippable)
3 T caster sugar

Pavlova Meringue

1. Beat egg whites with electric beaters and gradually add the caster sugar until stiff peaks form. This usually takes around 5 minutes. It will be velvety and thick and glorious.

2. Slowly fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla until well combined.

3. Scoop spoonfulls of mixture and place on a tray, lined with al foil and sugar (which helps them to not stick).

4. Bake in a slow oven (150C/300F) for 15 minutes until the peaks just slightly start to brown. They will then crack upon cooling, which is perfectly normal.

Chantilly Cream

Beat cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks, approximately 3 minutes. Be sure not to overwhip, or it will begin to start turning into butter!!! Less ideal.

Stewed Fruit

In a saucepan, place pieces of rhubarb with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Cook for a few minutes, until softened, but not too much until they break down. Allow to cool and strain the water. Slice the fresh strawberries and leave aside with the rhubarb.

To compile the Pavlova in a Glass, start with the cream on the bottom. Then put the meringue, followed by fruit, and repeat as many times as your glass is tall!

Its best to put this together just before serving, so that the liquids from the fruit don't make the meringue soggy. The crunch of the meringue, with the sweetness of the cream, together with the slight tartness of the fruit are the perfect combination and make for perfect biteful after perfect biteful!

Such an easy dessert to be able to make ahead of time, and you can make it even easier and buy the meringue already made!! It couldn't be more straight-forward than that! I really like the presentation of this dessert and enjoyed making it almost as much as I enjoyed eating it!!! My photos are nowhere near as good as Pink Patisserie's, but I'm hopeful that they at least tasted as good, which is the main thing anyway!!