Friday Food: Pavlingtons

I love quirky food tributes, like the Iced Vovo Tart or Cherry Ripe Brownie, so I was eager to make the Pavlova Lamington, or Pavlington, from the January Taste Magazine. Of course I can't eat it, because it has chocolate, but I am always looking for interesting cakes to bake for my friends. This recipe may not appear to be for the faint-hearted, but it is small steps, small parts, brought together as a wondrous whole.

The pavlova is a meringue with a crispy outer shell and a marshmallowy filling and a Lamington is made of sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. They can also be filled with jam and/or cream. I eschew this version, but needed to source it for the recipe. Luckily it was available in both Coles and Woolies. If the weather wasn't so hot I would have baked my own. If you can't find jam-filled Lamingtons, use the plain kind and add a splodge of jam.

I used my mum's raspberry jam and, apart from buying the Lamingtons, all the other ingredients are things I usually have in the kitchen. The list of ingredients is long, but not tricky. You need two separate amounts of cream and chocolate

The recipe says it makes 9 150ml 'cakes' but I made 12 ordinary cup-cake sized ones. The Pavlington must be assembled from many and various parts, but they can all rest happily in the fridge, or an airtight container, until they are brought together in triumph!!

I don't actually expect that any sane person would want to make these, but I am so very pleased with the way they turned out, and I would definitely make these again, maybe for The Doctors and Nurses at The Vet!!

 

Pavlingtons     makes 12

For the Pavlovas

• 4 egg-whites at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar   (220g)
• 2 tspn cornflour
• 1 tspn vinegar
• 1 tspn vanilla extract

For the Lamington Truffles

• 360g packet of jam-filled Lamingtons
• 30ml thickened cream
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 375g dark chocolate melts, or milk chocolate if you prefer

For the Raspberry Sauce

• 1/2 cup raspberry jam, warmed and sieved

For the Chocolate Sauce

• 2 tspn brown sugar
• 100g dark chocolate melts
• 60ml thickened cream

Also 200ml thickened cream for assembly.

 

First make the pavlovas. Preheat the oven to 150*C/130*C fan-forced and line a muffin tray with paper cases.

Using squeaky clean beaters and a metal or glass bowl, beat the egg-whites until stiff peaks form. I also wipe the bowl and beaters with a little vinegar or lemon juice, just to make sure things are perfect.  Then add the caster sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on a high speed. Scrape down the edges of the bowl frequently.  It took me about 15 minutes to add all the sugar as I allow a minute or so between additions., The pavlova is almost ready when a little of the mixture rubbed between the thumb and forefinger feels perfectly smooth. If there are still some grains of sugar it needs more beating. The mixture should be glossy and thick.

Mix the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, add to the pavlova mixture and whisk briefly to combine.

Divide evenly between the cupcake papers and make cute peaks with the side of the spoon if you like. Though the recipe says to do this, when you assemble the Pavlingtons the first thing you do is crush the top: slightly confusing. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 110*C/90*C fan-forced and continue to bake for 1 hour more.

Turn the oven off and prop the door slightly ajar with a wooden spoon or something similar. Leave  to cool completely.

While the pavlovas are cooling, make the Lamington truffles. Use a food processor to blend together the Lamingtons and 30ml of thickened cream. Refrigerate the mixture until it is firm enough to handle.

Roll level teaspoons into a ball, and then refrigerate again until firm.

Melt the chocolate in your preferred manner. I use 30 second bursts in the microwave and always stop before the chocolate is fully melted and stir until it is smooth. Pour the shredded coconut into a shallow container. Dip each truffle in the melted chocolate to coat, and then roll in the coconut and set aside on a baking paper lined tray. You can refrigerate, or freeze for later, in an airtight container. Save the leftover chocolate to use when you assemble the Pavlingtons.

Make the chocolate sauce by mixing the 60ml of thickened cream, brown sugar and 100g chocolate melts in a jug or bowl and then melting together in the microwave in the same was as the chocolate for the truffles was melted.

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge along side the sieved raspberry jam sauce.

When you are ready to assemble the Pavlingtons, whip the 200ml of thickened cream until firm peaks form. Re-melt the chocolate saved from the truffles and put into a ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off so it is a piping bag.

Gently crush the centre of each pavlova, just so you make a recess for the cream. Leave a border around the outside. Divide the cream between the pavlovas and drizzle with the raspberry jam sauce.

I added 3 truffles on top of the cream and 'glued' them together by piping the melted chocolate. I secured one more to the top.

Once the truffles are set, drizzle over the chocolate sauce and you are ready to serve the Pavlingtons to your guests!!!

Comments

[Linda]

This is just a MOST beautiful looking dessert. Might be fun to do for Valentine'so Day.

[Cakelaw]

Your pavlingtons look amazing! I saw this recipe on the cover of Taste, and thought it looks amazing but too much effort required. Well done on tackling it.

[Kate]

Those are completely over the top!! I can see what you mean about each bit being easy enough, but what a spectacular (and sugar-overloaded) finale!!

[mrspao]

They look spectacular!

[cathy]

oh woowh they look so good. I bet they tasted great.

[Kylie]

this looks delicious. You have far more patience than I for these things though, I fear!