A Rose Pavlova for you and your love on Valentine’s Day. Or any day. Because why reserve acts of kindness for February 14th?
I woke up this morning as the Winter Sun floated through our bedroom window. If I lay my head onto Mikkel’s chest I can peak out of the window and, at this time of year when the trees are barren, I can even see the sound. This morning the water was calm and there was no cloud in sight, just the crisp Winter Sun mirroring in the water. I checked my phone for any missed appointments or deadlines and I realized that I hadn’t missed as much as a dentist appointment. Nothing. At this point in my life everything is easy and beautiful like this Winter morning. All the doubts and worries from one year ago when we entered a new chapter of our lives are gone. I’m happy – and sometimes even a bit bored. But in a good way. I believe in not pushing off those beautiful, mundane, and sometimes uncomfortable, moments that life is. I try to seek the beauty in those moments. The mundane and the real. And, luckily, sometimes that means coming home from a long day at the office to a nice bouquet of eucalyptus and peonies.
Happy Valentine’s!
Rose Pavlova w. Strawberries & White Chocolate
Ingredients
For the pavlova
- 220 grams white sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 120 grams egg white
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
For the roasted strawberries
- 500 grams strawberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rose water
For serving
- 250 ml whipping cream
- Fresh strawberries and raspberries
- Shaved white chocolate
Instructions
For the pavlova
- Heat the oven to 130 C
- Prepare a baking tray lined with baking paper; draw a circle with a diameter of 20 cm and turn the paper upside down.
- Mix sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites and sea salt at low speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer so I have my hands free. Increase the speed to highest setting and add 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture at a time. Continue mixing until stiff and glossy.
- Use a spatula to fold in the rose water and white wine vinegar.
- Turn the meringue out onto the baking paper and use a spatula to distribute the meringue to the rim of the circle drawn on the paper. Make a 2 cm shallow indent in the centre of the meringue leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
- Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes until the outside looks dry and slightly creamy in color. Let the pavlova cool completely on the baking tray. Once cooled place on a serving platter.
For the roasted strawberries
- Heat the oven to 200 C.
- Divide the strawberries in quarters. Mix with sugar and rose water. Place in a baking tray and bake for 5-7 minutes until bubbly, but the strawberries should still hold their shape. Let the strawberries cool completely in the tray.
For serving
- Whip the whipping cream into a light foam. Top the cooled meringue with the whipped cream, then the roasted strawberry pieces, and drizzle with any strawberry juices left in the baking pan. Finish with a few fresh strawberries, raspberries and white chocolate shaves.
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