Tropical pavlova perfection
Bring festive vibes to this Kiwi Christmas classic with Dole fruit.
It’s summer and that means it’s pavlova season – time to indulge in Kiwis’ favourite summertime dessert. Instead of using standard toppings, why not give your pav a tropical twist? We’re talking a crispy, chewy meringue topped with whipped coconut cream, Dole Tropical Gold® Pineapple and Dole bananas, all drizzled with passionfruit syrup. Here’s a yummy recipe for you to try and share.
Tropical Pavlova
This recipe makes one single pavlova. Double the ingredients and process to create multiple layers as we have done. Serves 12
Coconut pavlova
4 egg whites,
at room temperature
1/3 tsp cream of tartar
11/3 cups caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half and
seeds scraped
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white wine vinegar
½ cup desiccated coconut,
lightly toasted
Tropical topping
400ml can coconut cream, chilled in the fridge overnight
2-3 Dole bananas,
thinly sliced
1/3 Dole Tropical Gold® Pineapple, peeled and cored, cut in chunks
1/3 cup preserved passionfruit in syrup (available from supermarkets)
Preheat oven to 110°C (not fan-forced). Draw a 20cm circle on a sheet of baking paper (use a 20cm plate as a guide) and place on a baking tray.
In a large, clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, whisking continuously, until the mixture is very thick and glossy. Beat the vanilla seeds into the meringue. Fold in the cornflour, vinegar and coconut.
Spoon the meringue onto the lined tray within the circle outline, shaping into a disc. Bake for 1 hour, or until crisp on the outside and gooey inside. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside to dry out and cool completely for 1 hour. Once cool, carefully peel off the paper and put on a cake stand.
For the topping, spoon the thick, set creamy part of the coconut cream from the can into a bowl and use an electric mixer to whip until light and fluffy. Gradually add in some of the liquid left in the coconut cream can to loosen and lighten the mixture if needed.
Combine the Dole banana, Dole Tropical Gold® Pineapple and passionfruit in a small bowl. Spoon the whipped coconut cream onto the pavlova and top with the fruit.