Get in the festive spirit with Rosemary's classic Chestnut Pavlova Cake. Try it for yourself with this recipe, or watch Rosemary in action in The Christmas Kitchen at The Eat & Drink Festival Christmas 2021!
Ingredients for meringue rounds:
●5 egg whites (large eggs)
●275g castor sugar
●½ tsp vanilla essence
●½ tsp vinegar
●½ tsp cornflour
Ingredients for topping and round cake:
●200ml double cream
●½ tin chestnut puree
●1 tsp vanilla extract
●1 tbsp castor sugar
Method for meringue rounds:
1. Grease two 20cm baking tins (round), line with greaseproof paper and then grease the paper.
2. Whisk egg whites till stiff.
3. Gradually add in ½ sugar and continue whisking till very stiff, shiny, close textured and forms peaks – adding in vanilla, cornflour and vinegar towards the end of beating.
4. Spread into 2 baking tins and bake for about 2 ½ hours at Regulo ½ . Turn off oven and leave for a further 1 hour to dry out meringue.
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before very carefully lifting from baking tin and peeling off the paper.
Method for meringue sandwich mixture:
1. Beat egg yolks.
2. Dissolve sugar in water and boil to the thread (until sticky) and pour onto egg yolks and whisk until thick.
3. Cream butter and beat into egg mousse by degrees.
4. Add in chestnut puree. Sandwich 2 halves of cake (adding in chopped/flaked almonds or other nuts).
Method for topping and round the sides to form the cake:
1.Whip double cream until quite thick and add castor sugar.
2.Add ½ tin chestnut puree and vanilla extract.
3.Spread on top and round the sides and decorate with ground and chopped walnuts or almonds.
