Individual pavlovas are made with soft brown sugar, giving them a deep, caramel-like flavor. Then they’re topped with vanilla whipped cream and fragrant, delicious butter rum peaches. Brown sugar pavlovas make the perfect summer-time dessert…
Before I chat about pavolva making, I need to add a disclaimer here: I’m not suggesting pavlovas topped with whipped cream and buttery peaches become part of the every day diet of someone wanting to get healthy and lose weight. I made these for my husband for Father’s Day last weekend and they were too good not to share. Dessert every once in awhile isn’t going to prevent you losing weight. It’s when you consistently eat a diet high in calories, especially sugar and other high sugar carbs, that will cause you to gain weight. One dessert isn’t going to break you. So enjoy it but don’t make a habit of it. Savvy??
Okay, back to the pavs…
A pavlova is basically egg whites and sugar. You cannot have one speck of egg yolk or any fat at all or your whites won’t whip-up and the recipe won’t work. Fine white sugar is commonly used to make pavlovas but I’ve used a combination of white and brown sugar. Brown sugar gives pavlovas a wonderful treacle-like flavor. 
To make good pavlovas, you need patience. Beat the whites enough, gradually add the sugar sloooowly and THE most important part – low heat and a long time in the oven. With no peeking. None! Got it?! Once the pavs have cooked in a low heat oven, the oven is turned off and they’re left in there to cool with the oven, this dries them and is integral to the success of them so don’t be tempted to take them out sooner. Stick a note on the oven door so you don’t forget they’re in there and turn the oven on for something else.
The peaches are ridiculously easy: butter, brown sugar, rum and peaches. Cooked them cooled. That’s it. The results from all your patience…
Beautiful billowy individual pavlovas with a crisp, meringue outside and sticky center, just like a good pav should be. Then generous dollops of clouds of whipped cream with heady, fragrant peaches spooned over the top. I mean seriously folks…this is HEAVENLY! If you’re going to splurge I say go big or don’t bother. Until next time, toodles xo
A pinterest pic for you to share
- 8 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- pinch salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- RUM PEACHES
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup spiced rum
- 6 peaches, halved & then cut into wedges
- To make the rum peaches: Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add rum and peaches, simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened slightly. Spoon peaches and their sauce into a container, cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight.*
- To make the pavlovas: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Trace eight, 4-inch circle on 2 pieces of parchment paper. Turn paper over and place onto 2 baking sheets.
- Beat egg whites in a large, clean bowl with a balloon whisk attachment using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add each sugar a couple of tablespoons at a time, reserving the extra tablespoon of granulated sugar for the whipped cream. Once all the sugar is added, beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is shiny and stiff.
- Add cornstarch, vinegar and salt. Beat 5 to 10 seconds until well combined.
- Spoon pavlova mixture evenly into each circle and spread almost until the edge of the circle, smooth the tops of the pavlovas.
- Turn the oven down to 240°F (120°C). Bake 1 1/2 hours (do not open oven door at any time). Turn oven off, do not open door. Leave pavlovas in the oven until completely cooled, or overnight. This prevents cracking and ensures the pavlovas will be dry.
- Beat cream, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl until whipped and soft peaks form. Spread cream on top of pavlovas. Spoon peaches and their juice onto cream. Serve immediately.
- If you can use slip-stone peaches it makes the process much easier of removing the stone. Use peaches that are ripening, still with a little firmness as they'll soften as they cook. If you can't find slip-stone peaches then cut off the 'cheeks' of the peaches like you would a mango. Once the peaches are cool, the skin slip off the wedges. I remove the skins just before serving as I think they give the sauce a lovely pink hue.
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