Name: The Brown Sugar Pavlova with Raspberry Sauce and Bananas you won’t be able to get enough of
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 8-10
Ingredients: 1 cup caster sugar; ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1 tblsp cornflour; 6 egg whites, at room temperature; 2 tsp white vinegar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1½ cups thickened cream; 1 cup thick vanilla bean custard; 2 bananas, sliced; RASPBERRY SAUCE; 1½ cups frozen raspberries; 1/3 cup caster sugar

As Managing Food Editor of New Idea Food, I’ve whipped up countless pavlovas for special occasions, but this is one recipe I keep coming back to. For my girlfriend Leanne’s birthday, I decided to give an old pav recipe a little makeover.

I combined caster sugar with brown sugar in a food processor with cornflour to create a fine, silky mixture. The brown sugar brings a delicious caramel sweetness to the meringue, giving it a slightly darker, crisp shell and a soft, chewy, marshmallowy centre.

And what if I told you there’s a way to make a perfectly shaped pavlova without those dreaded cracks? My trick is to cook the meringue in two greased and lined springform pans. It’s an easy method that gives beautiful results every time.

springform pavlova tin — *Perfecting pavlovas shouldn’t be complicated. (Credit: New Idea)*

To balance the sweetness of the pav, I serve it with a tart raspberry sauce and fresh banana – a match made in heaven.

It’s funny how, from the thousands of recipes I’ve developed over the years, some stay with me long after the pages have turned. This is definitely one of them.

Ingredients

1 cup caster sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tblsp cornflour

6 egg whites, at room temperature

2 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1½ cups thickened cream

1 cup thick vanilla bean custard

2 bananas, sliced

RASPBERRY SAUCE

1½ cups frozen raspberries

1/3 cup caster sugar

Method

Step 1

Invert bases of two 24cm springform pans. Grease and line bases and sides of pans, extending paper 2cm above edges.

Step 2

Process both sugars and cornflour in a food processor until finely blended.

Step 3

Beat egg whites in small bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar mixture, 1 tblsp at a time, beating until dissolved. Beat for a further 5 mins, or until thick and glossy. Fold in vinegar and vanilla. Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans. Smooth over tops.

Step 4

Cook in a (120°C (fan-forced) preheated oven for about 1 hour 30 mins, or until dry and crisp. Turn off oven. Cool pavlovas in oven with door ajar for about 1 hour. Remove.

Step 5

RASPBERRY SAUCE: Meanwhile, combine berries, sugar and 1 tblsp water in a medium frying pan over a low heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and raspberries are soft. Bring to boil. Boil gently for about 5 mins, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Transfer to a heatproof jug to cool.

Step 6

Beat cream in same clean bowl of an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Fold in custard until combined.

Step 7

Just before serving, sandwich pavlovas together with half the cream mixture and half the bananas. Top with remaining cream mixture and bananas. Drizzle with raspberry sauce.

Karen Buckley Managing Food Editor

Growing up, Karen’s formative years were defined by cooking and baking alongside her loved ones. Since then, she’s turned this lifelong passion into a career, with an acquired 30 years of experience in leading test kitchens, developing the recipes you know and love. Across the New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life digital and print brands, she develops enough recipes in a year to last you 365 days (not that we’re counting). And with a TAFE Home Economics Certification under her belt, her dedication to creating healthy, affordable and delicious food has always been at the centre of the recipes she creates. And for Karen, this also applies to her own meal-planning repertoire at home: she’ll avoid buying processed products, instead incorporating fresh wholefoods where she can.

Lara Carlucci Editorial Assistant

Lara is an Editorial Assistant to Managing Food Editor Karen Buckley for New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life, and an Assistant and Writer for Diabetic Living. With a Bachelor of Media (Communications & Journalism), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Honours), she’s always nurtured a passion and love for writing in whatever form it takes, wanting to share stories that matter. Food is her second love: shaped by her Italian heritage, and the countless large family gatherings that are always comprised of wholesome, generous meals prepared by loved ones. If not around the banquet table, she’ll take every opportunity to sample Sydney’s endless supply of cuisines – having visited over 70 food joints in the last year alone!