Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova Food

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 23cm / 9 inches in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 150°C/130°C Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely. When you're ready to serve, invert on to a big, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the raspberries. Coarsely grate the chocolate so that you get curls rather than rubble, as you don't want the raspberries' luscious colour and form to be obscured, and sprinkle haphazardly over the top, letting some fall, as it will, on the plate's rim.

CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Beat together egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks in a large bowl. Beat in sugar, about three tablespoons at a time, until stiff and glossy peaks form. Sift cocoa and cornstarch over egg whites, and gently fold in. Gently fold in vinegar, vanilla, and melted chocolate.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the meringue into an eight inch circle. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 1/2 hours until the outside is crispy and the center is soft. Using a metal spatula, loosen the meringue from the parchment paper, and remove to cool on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely, about one hour.
• Whip cream with the sugar, and spread over the meringue. Arrange strawberries decoratively over the top, and drizzle with chocolate.

CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA WITH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees, placing rack at the center of your oven.
• Place an 8 or 9 inch cake pan on a sheet of parchment paper and trace around the rim using a pen. Place the parcment on a cookie sheet penciled side down - facing the baking sheet.
• If you are using regular sugar, place it into the bowl of a food processor and blend for 30 seconds to get a finer granule. Remeasure out 1 1/4 cups and discard any excess.
• Using a mixer, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the vinegar and vanilla extract. Sift the cocoa powder and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, using a large spatula, fold together. Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate.
• Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges. While spreading create a SMALL indentation in the center so that there will be a natural hollow for the raspberries and whipped cream.
• Bake for about 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours or until the outside is dry. There will be small cracks on the surface but the center will still be soft and gooey.) Shut the oven off, leave the door slightly open, and allow the meringue cool completely in the oven.
• Just before serving gently place the meringue on a serving plate. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the raspberries on top of the cream.
• Serve immediately.