Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Molten chocolate cake or lava cake is a popular dessert that combines the elements of a flourless chocolate cake (sometimes called a chocolate decadence cake) and a soufflé. Some other names used are chocolate fondant, chocolate moelleux and chocolate lava cake.

1966: The first known cake with a deliberately runny center is the Tunnel of Fudge Cake—the second-place winner of a Pillsbury bake-off in 1966. Invented by Texan housewife Ella Helfrich, the cake is a walnut-flecked Bundt cake with a wet fudge center, which Ella achieved by the pretty ingenious inclusion of powdered frosting. (The original recipe called for Pillsbury’s “Double Dutch Dry Frosting Mix,” which would, in the oven, cook into a runny, pudding-like “tunnel.”) The cake put Bundt pans—created in the ’50s, but never particularly popular—on the map, and proves what’s now nearly scientific fact: Nobody doesn’t love a cake with a runny center.

1979: Fay and Allen’s Foodworks Emporium, in Manhattan, serves a Chocolate Soufflé Cake among its other fancy takeout items. The cake is baked by Mark Allen, who credits his alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America, with the recipe. Like the Tunnel-of-Fudge, Fay and Allen’s cake is a big, brownie-like Bundt with chocolate goo running through the middle. Unlike Tunnel-of-Fudge (and unlike most “flourless” cakes), the batter is truly flourless—“similar to a chocolate mousse,” writes Maida Heatter, who includes the recipe in her New Book of Great Desserts, published in 1982. The recipe also calls for long, slow baking at 300°F.

1981: In this year Michel Bras patents his chocolate coulant. Bras’s coulant—French for “runny”—is the father of molten chocolate cakes as we’ve come to know them: individual, non-Bundt cakes, portioned for just one person. Bras’s version involves chilled ganache tucked inside cake batter and frozen overnight. The ganache melts in the oven while the cake bakes, resulting in a fully baked cake with a runny, liquid center. All through the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s, Bras served variations on this cake—including a blue-cheese version and a caramel version—at his restaurant in Laguiole.

1987: In New York, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef-owner of JoJo, invents the molten chocolate cake again. It happens by accident: He pulls a chocolate sponge cake (the recipe is his mother’s) out of the oven too early, tastes the cake, and discovers that it’s delicious even with an underdone center. He calls the cake a Chocolate Valrhona Cake, and serves it with vanilla ice cream.

1990s: Gooey chocolate cakes migrate to other restaurants: Le Bernardin, Mondrian, March Restaurant, to name a few. (When Tom Colicchio puts a chocolate ganache cake on the menu at Mondrian, he credits Bras, with whom he worked in the summer of 1989.) At Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay serves a cake spiced with ancho chili that, like Bras’s, has ganache baked into the middle. On the west coast, Wolfgang Puck puts a chocolate surprise cake on the menu at Spago; Nancy Silverton serves a similar cake at Campanile in Los Angeles. And the Hot Chocolate Lava Cake, a cake that bears resemblance to Michel Bras’s coulant, appears on the menu at Chart House. The restaurant chain, owned by Landry’s, still serves the cake today: “A rich chocolate cake with molten center, made with Godiva® liqueur. Served warm, topped with chocolate sauce, Heath® bar crunch and vanilla ice cream.”

1997: A recipe for “Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes” appears in Joy of Cooking for the first time. Joy of Cooking declares the cakes “worthy of an elegant dinner party.” Along these elegant lines, a recipe for molten chocolate cake appears in Food & Wine magazine, in a feature called “Simply elegant: quick recipes for stylish entertaining.” Also in 1997, Jacques Torres’s recipe for Chocolate Fondants appears in his book Dessert Circus. Torres recommends using “quality chocolate”—classy chocolate—such as Callebaut from Belgium.

1997: Molten chocolate cakes make their way to menus at Disney World, the world’s most-visited entertainment resort. Though the parks draw a crowd, the cakes remain in the realm of the elegant and slightly upscale, served only at the park’s pricier themed resort restaurants. At the Flying Fish Café—inside BoardWalk, Disney World’s Coney Island-inspired resort—Chef John State serves a signature Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Liquid Chocolate Center and Tarragon Crème Anglaise. The restaurant is reservation-only, and has a dress code that forbids tank tops, swimwear, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, and torn clothing. Kona Cafe, a restaurant in the Polynesian Resort, serves “a hot lava cake with flowing chocolate river… as good as it sounds,” according to a reviewer in Tampa Bay magazine. The California Grill, meanwhile, a Los Angeles-themed restaurant located on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort, features a menu that offers sushi, California wine, and molten-chocolate cake.

1999: When molten-chocolate cakes first appear in genre fiction, the terminology used to describe them—unsurprisingly—is that of romance. And not just any romance, but the illicit kind: the cakes are always “sinful” and “decadent.” In Joseph Finder’s High Crimes, in which star attorney Claire Heller Chapman learns that Tom Chapman is not the man he says he is, a molten chocolate cake is presented at dinner, undoubtedly a metaphor for something aberrant afoot.

“Can I tempt you with dessert?” asked the waiter. “The marquise au pistachio is fabulous. To die for. Or there’s a warm molten chocolate cake that’s really sinful.”

“I want chocolate cake!” said Annie.

Tom looked at Claire. She shook her head. “Nothing for me,” she said.

“Are you sure?” the waiter asked conspiratorially, wickedly.

In Gay G. Gunn’s Pride and Joi, the titular character (Joi) is torn between “passion or privilege”: a man who stimulates her mind or a financially-secure-but-boring guy. When the boring guy orders a straitlaced stone-fruit cobbler, she opts for decadence: “They shared a Caesar salad and mountains of crusty bread before settling on dessert: peach cobbler for him, and for her, chocolate decadence cake with white chocolate lava center and a spiral of whipped cream.”

2000: Because these cakes tend to appear on the menus of pricier restaurants, and pricier restaurants tend to cater to couples, the romantic overtones begin to bleed over from the bodice-rippers.Death by Chocolate Cakes: An Astonishing Array of Chocolate Enchantments includes a recipe for something called “Chocolate Heart of Darkness,” which the authors describe as a “warm, molten chocolate cake… so sensual it could be the eighth deadly sin.” In ­Romantic Days and Nights in Los Angeles, a guide to romantic venues in LA, author Stephen Dolainski writes of dinner at one romantic venue, “for dessert there’s no choice: warm chocolate cake with molten center.” Meanwhile, restaurant reviewers nationwide describe the cakes as “ubiquitous” and “clichéd,” but—and there is always, invariably a but—irresistibly good. The public’s relationship with the cakes becomes a torrid love affair.

2001: By 2001, the molten cake debuts at casual-dining restaurant chains. Chili’s introduces a Molten Chocolate Cake topped with vanilla ice cream (which is itself encased in magical, crunchy chocolate shell). The Chili’s version remains the chain’s best-selling dessert. (If consumed in its entirety, it will supply you with 1,030 caloric units of energy.) Almost simultaneously, the Triple Chocolate Meltdown appears on the menu at Applebee’s, a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake comes to California Pizza Kitchen, and Bennigan’s trademarks its Death by Chocolate.

2002: The cake’s shift from high-end to casual also takes place at Disney World, where the pleasures of molten chocolate are no longer kept from the park’s cut-off-wearing populace. Bursting forth from prix-fixe meals at reservation-only resort restaurants, the cakes are now doled out on paper plates at Disney’s Epcot Center, sans tarragon crème Anglaise (and sans dress code). At the yearly Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, a Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Ganache gives Epcot visitors a taste of “Irish” cuisine.

2004: Frozen “chocolate lava cakes” go on sale at 1,400 Walmart Supercenters. The cakes, the first frozen molten-chocolate cake available, are manufactured by Saxby Foods, a Canadian dessert-manufacturing company. According to Saxby, these are not just anyfrozen cakes—they’re trickier to engineer than the average mass-market attempt. The cakes can’t be too tall, or they’ll over-bake; they can’t be too thin, lest the chocolate burst through. Saxby’s technique appears to be a descendent of Michel Bras’s: the cake is frozen with a liquid center and a “button” of ganache, which melts when microwaved. Walmart, anticipating the cakes’ popularity, orders 288,000 cakes for its first order. Frozen cakes are now available at Trader Joe’s, and Sara Lee and Pillsbury offer their own ice-cold options.

2005: Betty Crocker releases Warm Delights, which are essentially single-serving bowls of cake mix. To enjoy a Warm Delight, simply add water, microwave, then top with the contents of the premade fudge packet. With Warm Delights, “You’re just three minutes away from heaven!” When Warm Delights are first released, Josh Resnik, Betty Crocker’s marketing manager, announces that “Betty Crocker Warm Delights is the perfect complement to those treasured little luxuries such as chick flicks, romance novels, or a long, hot bath. Just a minute in the microwave and you are on your way to the ultimate relaxation experience, without all the stress of putting it together.” Luxury and romance, needless to say, remain part of the cakes’ wide appeal.

2009: In 2009, just when you thought that Warm Delights were the terminus point in the molten chocolate trickle-down, your mother forwards you a recipe for “5 minute chocolate mug cake.” This is a cake whose Jean-Georges-reminiscent contents are assembled, mixed in a mug, and then microwaved. The result is a single-serving chocolate cake with a slightly moist interior. The recipe ends, “Why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are only five minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night.” Then it instructs you to “send this to twenty of your chocolate-lovin’ friends.” It’s a challenge to pinpoint the provenance of the microwave mug cake: The recipe first appeared in inboxes around 2009, and since then it’s been all over the web, emailed far and posted wide.

Preparation
Molten lava cakes are always baked in ramekin dishes and have four main ingredients: butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate. The butter and chocolate are melted together, while the eggs are either whisked with the sugar to form a thick paste, producing a denser finished product; or are separated so the egg whites can be whipped into an egg foam to provide more lift (and thus a lighter cake) when the mixture is baked.

Presentation
Rather than presenting only the cake itself in a ramekin or on a plate, the baker may choose to make the cake more appealing. Fresh raspberries, a drizzling of raspberry and/or chocolate sauce, and dustings of powdered sugar may be added to enhance flavor, or a sprig of mint may look more appealing as well. For a more intense chocolate taste, the baker may also add a tablespoon of strong coffee.

Ingredients

• unsweetened baking cocoa
• 6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour

* Additional powdered sugar, if desired*

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Grease bottoms and sides of six (6-oz) custard cups with shortening; dust with cocoa. In 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool slightly.

2. In large bowl, beat whole eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or eggbeater until well blended. Beat in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in melted chocolate mixture and flour. Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Place cups on cookie sheet with sides.

3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until sides are set and centers are still soft (tops will be puffed and cracked). Let stand 3 minutes. Run small knife or metal spatula along sides of cakes to loosen. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over each cup; turn plate and cup over. Remove cup. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Garnish with kumquats. Serve warm.

charlotte royale

Charlotte Royale

I love to eat and make a charlotte royale cake. You guys must try this recipe as your dessert time. This cake is suitable for party and tea time with family.

History of Charlotte Royale

Charlotte is a dessert created by an English chef in honour of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III of England. Originally, charlotte is a warm dessert made by baking a fruit filling in a mold lined with buttered bread; it is then inverted out of its mold for service. Later on, chef Antoine Careme made a cold version of this dessert, which he called charlotte russe in honour of Russian Czar Alexander in the 19th century. Charlotte russe is lined with lady fingers instead of buttered bread and filled with bavarois instead of fruit filling. Now we know why there's warm and cold charlottes.

Ingredients

For the Swiss roll:

4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/4 cup  icing  sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 cup  cake and pastry flour
2/3 cup  raspberry jam


For the Bavarian cream:

1 cup  whole milk
1/2 vanilla pod or 1 1/2 tsp vanilla pod paste
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup  sugar
2 tbsp gelatine powder
1 1/2 cups  whipping  cream


Method

How to make Charlotte Royale

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line the bottom of a 15-x-10-inch Swiss roll tin with parchment paper.

2. Place the egg yolks and icing  sugar in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the Whip  attachment and Whip  until the yolks have doubled in volume and hold a ribbon when the Whip  is lifted, about 4 minutes. Whip  in the vanilla.

3. In a separate, or cleaned bowl, Whip  the egg whites with the salt first on low speed until foamy, then increase the speed to high and pour in the granulated sugar, whipping  until the whites hold a medium peak.

4. Sift half of the flour into the yolk mixture and fold in using a whisk , then fold in half of the whipped  egg whites. Repeat with the remaining flour, and then change to a spatula to fold in the last of the whites until evenly incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, taking the time to ensure the batter is level.

5. Bake the cake for about 12 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Let the cake cool for about 2 minutes on a cooling rack, then loosen the sides with a spatula. Sift a layer of icing  sugar over the surface of the cake and cover with a clean tea towel. Place a second cake pan over the towel and quickly invert the cake, removing the pan it was baked in. Peel off the parchment paper and dust this surface with icing  sugar. Roll the cake up from the 10-inch side with the towel and let it cool completely (cooling it rolled sets its “memory” so the cake won’t crack once filled).

6. Stir the raspberry jam to soften. Unroll the cake and spread an even layer of jam over the cake. Roll the cake back up again, dust the top with icing  sugar. Cover and store at room temperature until ready to serve.

7. The cake can be prepared up to a day in advance and stored, wrapped and unrefrigerated.

8. Bring the milk up to a simmer along with the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean (or the vanilla bean paste, if using). In a separate bowl, whisk  the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolks while whisking  constantly, then return the entire mixture to the pot. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes. Strain the custard into a bowl.

9. Stir the gelatin with 1/3 cup  of cool water and let it soften for a minute. whisk  this into the custard while it is still hot. Cool the custard completely to room temperature, then chill the custard for about 15 minutes, so that it is cool to the touch but not setting.

10. Whip  the cream to soft peaks and fold this (using a whisk ) into the cool custard mixture. Assemble the charlotte while the custard is still fluid.

11. Line a 6-cup bowl or charlotte mold with plastic wrap. Slice  the Swiss roll into ½ inch slices  and line the entire bowl, pressing the jell roll slices  together as tightly as possible without altering their shape. Pour the Bavarian cream into the mold and place any remaining jelly roll slices  on top. Cover the charlotte with plastic and chill for at least 4 hours to set.

12. To serve, invert the charlotte onto the serving plate and peel away the plastic wrap. Slice  into wedges to serve.

                                     

Mud Pie Dessert

MUD PIE

There seems to be some controversy regarding the history of this particular dessert. Also sometimes known as "Missisippi Mud Pie" and "Louisiana Mud Pie," food historians generally trace Mud pie to the 1970s and when it hit mainstream restaurants. Most notably: The Chart House restaurant chain. Print evidence confirms this recipe first surfaced in 1960s California. Noteriety grew in the 1970s and popularity exploded when it became a "signature" dessert of the chocoholic 1980s.

What is Mud pie?

Excellent question with no definitive answer. This recipe invites experimentation. Early print descriptions suggest the original dessert was a frozen fudge infused ice cream pie presented in chocolate cookie crumb pie crust. Ice cream flavors varied; fudge ran from chocolate sauce to thick emulsion. Some recipes incorporate marshmallow or whipped cream. Others have no ice cream at all and are served warm or room temperature. "Adult" versions are laced with liqueur. Children's versions (think: Dirt dessert & Dirt cake) are a study in commercial product assemblage. They are classically garnished with gummy worms.

When & where was Mud Pie invented?

The earliest print reference we find for Mud Pie suggests it was concocted by the wife of a rising star chef based in Long Beach California, circa 1965. Early 1970s newspapers offer key references to Mud Pie recipes in readers' exchange columns and local fair contest winners. Clearly, the recipe was circulating locally among home bakers. At some point in the early-mid 1970s, the Chart House restaurant chain added Mud Pie to its dessert menu. While we can't confirm this restaurant "invented" mud pie, it certainly merits credit for elevating popularity to the national level. Upscale restaurants, food service operations, corporate kitchens, and home cooks embraced the mud. With all sorts of interesting results. It is true that Mud Pie recipes come from Mississippi. It is equally true they come from the West, North, East and Midwest. MacArthur Park Mud Pie celebrates the mud in San Francisco Bay.

Where did the idea come from?

Likely culinary ancestors are Elizabethan-era 

•  Trifle (cream & cake), 19th century Viennese torten,
•  1900s double fudge brownies,
•  1920s Black Bottom Pie, and 1950s novelty ice cream  cakes.

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes  ice cream pie

• 1 (6 ounce) chocolate sandwich cookie crumb crust (such as an Oreo crust)
• 1 quart coffee ice cream
• 1 (12 ounce) package miniature chocolate chips
• 1 (12 ounce) jar hot fudge topping
• 1/2 (18 ounce) packae crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 3/4 chocolate syrup

1.   Freeze the crust until firm, about 30 minutes. Place half the coffee ice cream into a bowl, and let it stand about 10 minutes to soften. Return remaining ice cream to the freezer. Mix softened ice cream with the mini chocolate chips. Spread the ice cream and chips in an even layer over the frozen crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for 2 hours.

2.   Heat the topping in the microwave on low until warm and easy to pour, 30 seconds to 1 minute (do not let the sauce get very hot). Pour into a bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons cookie crumbs for garnish; stir remaining cookie crumbs into the fudge topping. Remove the pie from the freezer, and layer the cookie crumbs and fudge topping mixture over the ice cream with chips. Cover with plastic wrap, and return to freezer for 2 hours.

3.   Take the remaining frozen coffee ice cream out of the freezer, and allow to stand for about 10 minutes to soften. Layer the ice cream over the layer of cookie crumbs and fudge topping. Cover with plastic wrap, and return to freezer for 2 more hours.

4.   Remove pie, and frost the top of the pie with the whipped topping. Top with the reserved cookie crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap, and return to freezer for 2 more hours to freeze the whipped topping layer. Cut the pie into serving pieces, and drizzle each serving with about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate syrup.

Tiramisu: A Traditional Italian Dessert

When was the last time you went to an Italian restaurant and didn’t see tiramisu on the menu? Although its origin and ingredients may be shrouded in mystery, tiramisu has been a mainstay of restaurant dessert menus for the last 20 years. Described by some as a “very light chocolate pudding” and others as “fluffy coffee-flavored goodness,” tiramisu has been said to have a personality of its own. But, after the wonderfully sweet coffee flavors have drifted from the palette, many tiramisu-lovers are left asking questions like “Where did tiramisu originally come from?” “What exactly does the name mean?” and “Where can I find an easy tiramisu recipe?” Well, like all mysteries,this one has been solved, so continue reading in order to learn about this classic dessert. 

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a type of Italian dessert that is primarily flavored with coffee and, sometimes, rum or other types of liquor. Nowadays, there are as many varieties of tiramisu as there are myths about its origin. Classic tiramisu is made by soaking ladyfingers or other types of dry sponge cake in espresso coffee. The soaked sponge cake is then layered with mascarpone and zabaglione – a type of Italian whipped custard made from marsala wine, eggs and sugar. The finished tiramisu dessert is then sprinkled with cocoa powder or chocolate flakes.

Of course, as with any iconic dessert, there are a number of variations of the classic recipe. Some people like to sprinkle biscotti throughout the layers to add a bit of crunch; others like to substitute ricotta cheese for the traditional mascarpone. Some chefs like to stamp their own heritage onto the dessert.

Where Does Tiramisu Come From?

For such a seemingly simple dessert, the true origins of tiramisu are surprisingly complex and hotly debated. Some sources claim that tiramisu can be traced all the way back to the 17th Century. A layered dessert similar to tiramisu was created by chefs in the Italian province of Tuscany to celebrate the visit of Grand Duke Cosimo di Medici to the region. Eventually, the dessert was brought to the town of Trevisa, near Venice where it quickly gained popularity and became an icon of the town. As people came to the region and sampled the delicious coffee-flavored dessert, news of tiramisu spread to the United States, where it fast became a staple on the menus of Italian restaurants.

However, this long-reaching legacy is seen as a little far-fetched by some tiramisu historians. They point out that, although similar layered desserts have been popular in Italy for centuries, tiramisu as we know it is a fairly recent concoction. In fact, after completing a survey of Italian cookbooks, one historian found that the first mention of tiramisu first appeared as late as 1968.

Many people agree that the tiramisu found in restaurants today was invented, not in the 1600s, but in the 1980s at a restaurant called Le Beccherie in Trevisa. The precise inspiration for the dessert is not known, although some point out that it may have been borne out of a surplus of stale cake and cold coffee at the restaurant. Whatever the inspiration, tiramisu became an immediate favorite with restaurant goers and was imitated in cafes and restaurants all over the world.

The only mystery yet to be cleared up is the meaning of the word tiramisu.

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

Four 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee, at room temperature

1/2 cup brandy or cognac

30 to 32 crisp Italian ladyfingers (savoiardi)

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

Bittersweet chocolate, for shaving

Directions

• Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides. Fill a large bowl with ice water.

• Make the custard: Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the sugar dissolves. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the custard is light and foamy, about 10 minutes (a thermometer inserted into the mixture should register 170 degrees F).

• Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set in the bowl of ice water; whisk until the custard is cool, about 1 minute. Put the mascarpone in a large bowl. Fold the custard into the mascarpone with a rubber spatula until almost combined, then whisk until just smooth (do not overmix or the custard will be grainy).

• Combine the espresso and brandy in a shallow bowl. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers in the espresso mixture until soaked but not soggy; arrange 2 rows of about 5 biscuits each in the baking dish. Spread one-third of the mascarpone custard over the ladyfingers. Repeat with a second layer of espresso-dipped ladyfingers, arranging them in the opposite direction. Top with another one-third of the custard. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers, alternating directions. Spread the remaining custard on top and dust with the cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

• Invert a plate on top of the tiramisu, then flip the tiramisu with the plate. Remove the baking dish and plastic wrap. Invert a serving plate on top of the tiramisu and flip again so it is cocoa-side up. Remove the remaining plastic wrap. Shave curls of chocolate on top with a vegetable peeler.

Tiramisu in a wine glass

Tiramisu Chesscake

Classic Tiramisu

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/tiramisu-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Pavlova

PAVLOVA

Assalamualaikum and hi to all the readers. Welcome to my new entry which is I would like to post about one of the most famous dessert called as a "Pavlova". This dessert is one of my favourite dessert. I love to eat pavlova because it a simple dessert to make and the taste is very delicious. Based on my research about this dessert, some people like their pavlova to be crisp on the outside with a slightly chewy centre but others like only slightly crisp on the outside, but soft and marshmallowy on the inside. For me, I belong to the second group which is slightly crisp on the outside, but soft and marshmallowy on the inside. In Australia and New Zealand, it is common to serve the pavlova topped with all fruit such as kiwi, strawberry, and banana. Lately, some of them love to make a new variation and decorating their pavlova topped with all sort of chocolate - kinder bueno, kit kat, nutella and marshmallow. You also can make your pavlova. Try to find the recipes how to make a pavlova. This is the simple dessert to make :)

Pavlova is a meringue based dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue cake with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with fruit and optionally whipped cream. The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source. The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australians and New Zealand homes.

Ingredients

Meringue:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar OR distilled white vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces, about 6) large egg whites, preferably room temperature
• Pinch salt

Topping:

• 2 pints fresh or frozen berries
• 1/4 cup sugar

• Whipped Cream for topping

Method

1 Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the vanilla and vinegar (if using) into a small cup. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar in a small bowl.

 

2 In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites, cream of tartar (if using) and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until soft peaks/trails start to become visible, and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

 
 

3 Increase speed to medium-high, slowly and gradually sprinkling in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. A few minutes after these dry ingredients are added, slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar (if you didn't use cream of tartar.) Increase speed a bit and whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes.

 

4 Pipe or spoon the meringue into 8-10 large round mounds that are 3 inches wide on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon liner. With the back of a spoon, create an indentation in the middle of the mound for holding the filling once meringue is baked.

 

5 Place baking sheet in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp, dry to the touch on the outside, and white -- not tan-coloured or cracked. The interiors should have a marshmallow-like consistency. Check on meringues at least once during the baking time. If they appear to be taking on colour or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and turn pan around.

6 Gently lift from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, or individually wrapped, for up to a week if your house is not humid.

7 Served topped with your favourite filling - lemon curd, raspberry or blueberry sauce, and freshly whipped cream.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pavlova/#ixzz3hV9LAYdC

Sauce or Filling Directions

If you want to make a berry sauce, heat a couple pints of fresh or frozen berries in a medium saucepan with about a quarter cup of sugar. Heat on medium heat, stirring once or twice, for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how much the berries are falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool.

pavlova topped with fruit & chocolate

Pavlova topped with strawberry and chocolate

Pavlova chocolate

Pavlova topped with fresh fruit

"cooking is like love: it should be entered into with abandon or not at all "