Adam Liaw’s pavlova Barbara
This is based on a Palestinian Christian dessert, made to celebrate St Barbara’s Day on December 4, that’s similar to a rice pudding but made with wheat, dried fruits and nuts. This version takes those flavours and combines them with fresh fruit for a Christmas pav with a difference.
Ingredients
6 egg whites
450g icing sugar mixture
1 tsp cornflour
¼ tsp cream of tartar
a pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups pitted cherries, halved
1 cup apricots, quartered
½ cup pomegranate arils
¼ cup crushed pistachios
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ tsp sugar-coated fennel seeds (from Indian grocers, optional)
VANILLA CREAM
450ml thickened cream, whipped
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Step 1
Heat your oven to 110C. Add the egg whites, icing sugar mixture, cornflour, cream of tartar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to a glossy, stiff meringue. This will take 5-8 minutes.
Step 2
Lay a piece of baking paper onto a baking sheet and spread the meringue onto the baking paper in a 20cm circle. Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes and then turn off the oven, wedging the door open very slightly with a wooden spoon and allowing the pavlova to cool in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven to cool further.
Step 3
Whip the cream and the vanilla together until soft peaks form. Top the pavlova with the whipped cream, sprinkle with sugar and scatter with the fruit and nuts. Finish with a few candied fennel seeds if you have them.
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Adam Liaw’s pomegranate and pistachio glazed ham
This recipe is full of sweet and fragrant spices that work perfectly with a rich, fatty ham.
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Adam Liaw is a cookbook author and food writer, co-host of Good Food Kitchen and former MasterChef winner.
