13.12.17
This year we wanted to create something rich and chocolatey for Christmas to pair with our Double Cream but still keep the Australian tradition of a Christmas pavlova alive. So a Chocolate Pavlova made with balsamic vinegar ticked all the boxes! The addition of dark chocolate complements our cream very well, however our Vanilla Bean Double Cream would be equally as nice as a topping.
Here is the recipe:
Meringue
Preheat the oven to 120C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
Draw a 20cm disc onto the paper and turn paper over so that writing is on the bottom side.
Finely chop the block of dark chocolate. Make sure the pieces are small enough to mix through the meringue mixture later. In order to minimise cleaning, we would recommend to also grate the 30g of chocolate at the same time over the same chopping board!
Crack eggs into a clean glass or steel bowl. Any food residue in the bowl can hamper your efforts to get the perfect whip, so make sure it is very clean! Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is glossy. You can tell that it is ready if you rub a bit between your fingers and it is no longer gritty.
Sprinkle over the cocoa and the balsamic and fold through. Then add the chopped chocolate and fold with a spatula until the meringue is evenly mixed.
Heap the mixture onto your circle on the baking tray. Smooth the top and then around the sides.
Bake for 1.5 hours or until the pavlova is dry to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in the oven with the door ajar to cool completely.
Prior to serve, scoop a generous amount of Double Cream onto the top of the Pavlova and smooth it along the top. Top with fresh berries and chocolate shards. Enjoy it with friends and family!
