Are you still undecided on a Christmas dessert? Well look no further than this showstopper of a pavlova that features an added twist -- cranachan. Never heard of cranachan? Neither had I until I saw a TV show last year featuring England's premier food writer, chef and broadcaster, Mary Berry. It was filmed in Scotland, where her mother was from, and where she spent many Christmases. Among the delectable dishes she made was this pavlova, sprinkled with toasted oatmeal, part of a popular Scottish dessert called cranachan, also made with whipped cream and raspberries. The oatmeal is tossed with butter and sugar before toasting, and adds a buttery crunch to the finished dessert.
I added lots of different berries on top of the whipped cream -- raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and sugared cranberries, in addition to pomegranate seeds and the cranachan, of course.
Mint leaves and little sprigs of sugared rosemary, resembling tiny evergreen trees, also made it look even more festive.
It was fun to make, and really will make you feel like a star baker.
Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates. And may the new year bring good health, tons of happiness and plenty of adventure to your life.
Check out Ciao Chow Linda on Instagram here to find out what’s cooking in my kitchen each day (and more).
Mary Berry's Pavlova with cranachan
https://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/christmas-cranachan-pavlova-wreath/
- For the pavlova
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 ¾ cups white sugar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp butter
- 7/8 cup of porridge or old-fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp muscovado (or brown) sugar
- 2 ½ cups of heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Scotch whisky
- 2 cups blueberries
- 4 cups raspberries
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- Sprigs of rosemary, to decorate
- Powdered sugar, to serve
Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 325F/160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and draw a 12in/30cm circle in the middle of the paper. Draw a 6in/15cm circle in the centre of the larger circle to make a ring.
- Put the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until light. Gradually add the sugar a little at a time, whisking on maximum speed until they are stiff and glossy. Mix the vinegar and cornflour in a cup until smooth, then stir into the egg whites.
- Spoon the meringue onto the ring drawn on the baking parchment. Using a large spoon, make a shallow trench in the meringue for the cream and fruit to sit in.
- Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 275F/140C/120C Fan/Gas 1. Bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes, until the outside is hard but still white. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside for an hour or overnight to cool and dry.
- Melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the muscovado sugar and oats and fry over a medium heat until the oats are lightly golden brown and the sugar has melted and coated the oats. Leave to cool.
- To assemble, whip the cream until soft peaks and stir in the whisky. Stir in 2/3 of the oats and half the raspberries. Spoon the cream into the trench in the meringue. Arrange the remaining raspberries, blueberries and pomegranate seeds on top and decorate with a few rosemary sprigs, to look like small Christmas trees. Sprinkle with the remaining oats. To serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut into wedges.