Sunday, March 28, 2021

Sunday Recipe: A Pavlova for Spring

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Welcome, everyone, to another eagerly-anticipated recipe and cooking lesson from our own Celia Wakefield. Today she's preparing a lovely spring dessert - Pavlova. I "helped" (stood around and shot video) and I can assure you of two things: 1) if you have the right equipment, this showy pastry really isn't hard, and 2) it's SO GOOD. Scroll down to the bottom for our how-to videos.

 

I am so happy to be back talking to you on JRW; whether author, blogger or fan I greet you all in the name of Spring. Julia has invited me back after what we could call, “Our winter of discontent”, our shared experience with COVID, which I will get out of the way so that we can focus on what Spring is offering us. Victor and I are fine, thank you all, we are vaccinated and like the mole will come out of our burrow cautiously to greet the world. But let us move to a time long ago when attending large, in fact huge gatherings, without looking like bank robbers, was the norm.

 One of these annual gatherings took place in Westchester, NY, on the Campus of SUNY, Purchase in the ’80's. A huge summer festival, “Summerfare”, completely funded by PepsiCo (can you believe that?) The festival ran over ten years with an international array of artists; the Tokyo String Quartet, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Martine van Hamel, Victor Borge, Colleen Dewhurst, Mozart Operas each year, and the Handspan Theatre from Australia, just to name a few luminaries. 

Each year the Festival opened with a grand outdoor production of Noyes Fludde, (Benjamin Britten), using local choruses, children, puppets, a cherry picker to place God high above the crowd and a huge, huge rainbow of balloons stretching over the field with the Performing Arts building as a backdrop. Children came to make animal costumes to parade into the ark. This was a splendid sight and a joy to be a part of. 


I was a volunteer with the Prompters, whose work and mission was to support the PA Center, in any way needed. Ferrying artists from train and plane, helping backstage, cooking, yes, lots of cooking for the after performance receptions. We were a group of about 90, both women and men. 

Someone had the bright idea that a cookbook capturing artists’ recipes who had appeared on the four stages would be a great fundraiser. Somehow I got involved with this project, and somehow I found I was the project manager. [Julia’s note: Knowing Celia, this is utterly unsurprising.

Well, we collected the recipes, tested them, got them onto a computer disk (remember this was 1985), found a student in the Graphic Arts Department who was willing to do the design and layout as her senior project, and a printer.  We were set. Being that you all live in the 20’s, can you spot what I have left out? Yes, marketing

None of the Prompters had any marketing experience, nor did I, nor did I want to take it on in addition to the rest of my tasks. So we got cobbling. Demos in Bloomingdales, talking to groups and then an offer from a very local cable station. Remember, it was the ’80’s and cable was new. I was volunteered to be the presenter. I was told I had a 5 minute spot to fill and that the host, we will call her Julia, wanted to help me with the demonstration.

After much searching through our recipes I chose the Handspan Theatre’s Pavlova recipe which I knew could be done in the allocated time. Anna Pavlova visited Australia in 1926 and was such a success they renamed a cake after her. (It does appear there is a rivalry between Aussies and Kiwis as to who actually made the cake and named it for Pavlova. You can find the story on Wiki.

We arrived at the studio in good time. My cooler was full of almost whipped cream, egg whites, fruit and sets of meringue shells made in advance. My host, Julia, was late. I was getting more and more concerned about the fast deflating whipped cream, and other items which needed a cold environment. Julia arrived. Julia had broken her arm, a minor point that they had not considered we needed to know, but that wasn’t going to stop her “helping”.

I was frantically reorganizing how we could demonstrate this recipe with one arm short! I remember saying at one point, “Look how well Julia is sifting sugar with one hand!” while I held the bowl, sieve and sugar container for her. I don’t know if this little piece of art was the inspiration for the Food Network, but nowadays we have so many places to check out our recipes and techniques. However today, my lovely sous chef, Julia, and I will demonstrate how to make a pavlova in five minutes, or possibly a little longer. 

Here is the Pavlova recipe from the Handspan Theatre, Australia

 

Preparation:

Have a very clean, grease free bowl and whisk to beat the eggs. An electric one is best.

If you have a copper bowl here’s the opportunity to use it. Egg whites love copper.

You can make this any size but be sure to trace your shape on parchment paper first.

I freeze egg whites, usually in small batches of 4 each, adding each white when it’s available. They have a long freezer life and  still beat up very well.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

3 egg whites at room temperature

3/4 cup superfine sugar, if possible (Put a cup of regular sugar in a Food Processor and whirl, then measure)

1/2 tsp Cornstarch

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

 

Topping:

1 Cup + Heavy Cream, best quality you can find

Fresh Fruit for decoration, but avoid acid fruits. Strawberries, raspberries, mango slices, Kiwi slices, Passion fruit, blackberries, blueberries and peaches all work well. The decorations can include candies etc.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oven temperature 250 - 300 degrees

Trace your shape onto parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with cornstarch. Place on a cookie sheet.

Whisk egg whites until stiff, they should stand up when the whisk is inverted.

Add sugar a spoon at a time, then beat at top speed to dissolve the sugar

Stop beating and gently fold in the cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla.

 

 

Spread part of the mixture over the circle, then pipe or spoon the remaining egg whites to form an edging.

Bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. When it is very crisp, turn the oven off, leave the door open a fraction and allow to cool down before removing the paper and filling the shell.

 

It is better to fill your Pavlova at close to serving time as possible.

Cut the fruit before adding cream to the shell.

Whip the cream till stiff and cover the meringue, then decorate away with fruits, tiny cookies, candies - I’m thinking mini Easter eggs.

 

A Pavlova is a fun, light-hearted dessert and it’s gluten free. What could be better to celebrate Spring and vaccinations?  Bon Appetit, or as the Aussies might say, “Eat up Mate!” 

 





70 comments:

  1. Wow, ladies . . . I am quite properly impressed! What a lovely dessert . . . .

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    1. Thank you Joan, it was such fun to be together again. It's such a pleasure to be back and see you in your place as head of the commentary. Means all's right with the world

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    2. So lovely to see you here, Celia . . . I'm always impressed by the wonderful recipes you share with us . . . .

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  2. CELIA and JULIA: Thanks for a lovely springtime dessert!
    I agree that pavlovas look impressive but are really easy to make, even with a one-armed assistant in the 1980s, lol.

    It's so good that you were able get together to film the pavlova videos with Julia!

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    1. Thanks so much Grace. We have missed Julia even with our phone calls etc. Our bubble is very small so this was a treat. Great memories for me.

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    2. I should point point out that since I'm still not vaccinated, I kept my mask on at all times until we ate - and then I was sitting at least six feet apart!

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  3. Good on you (see what I did there?), Celia, for pulling off the television spot!

    I've never made meringue, but I might soon. I will watch the videos later and pay close attention. Thank you. Question. You just trace the circle but you don't cut it out of the paper? Is a dinner plate a good size for the amounts you have specified?

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    1. You nailed it Mate! Thanks so much Edith, how is your arm doing? I love your pics on Fb. No cutting needed here, the paper allows one to have a shape to follow, btw after tracing, I did turn the paper over so that I wasn't piping food onto lead! I traced the top of my copper bowl which turned out to be 8". You can make this any size really, the proportions are 4 egg whites to a cup of sugar. However it is very rich and I think Victor and I ate our entire Easter and Spring servings of sweet yesterday. Yes we did all eat it and send a portion off to Eldest too. The paper peels off easily after the Pavlova is cooled down. Do make it and let me know how it goes.

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  4. That is mouth-watering! Fresh berries and whipped cream are perfect toppings for almost anything.

    Note for Julia about the Chocolate Seder: I'll find out more and tell everyone about it when I do. Cristina says it is a seder and there is chocolate. It's new to me, too.

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    1. You're so right Judy, thanks. I am anxious to learn about the chocolate sedar also.

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    2. Judy, I've resisted looking it up on Google because I want to get the information straight from someone who knows!

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  5. Celia (and lovely assistant Julia), thank you! I always thought Pavlova was way more complicated than this. It really helps to have step by step demo.

    I'm all atwitter about the chocolate Seder, Judy. As I sit her nibbling my usual breakfast of dark chocolate with my morning coffee.

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    1. Thanks Karen, I hope you're ready to have a go now. I am intrigued by your dark chocolate breakfast. What does it do for you? Do you eat anything else and how much. I am ready to join you.

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    2. Yes, Karen, tell us all about it! Do you eat chocolate with anything else at breakfast? I have a fabulous chocolate bread recipe that is one of Irwin's favorite breads. Sometimes we eat it at breakfast, but mostly as a snack.
      Tomorrow I will tell you what I've learned about the chocolate seder.

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    3. Just a square or two of high quality dark chocolate, every morning since 1987. Long story how that got started.

      My cholesterol numbers are insanely good, my doctor says she's never seen any like them, and I credit the chocolate!

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  6. Thank you, Celia! The pavlova is lovely. I've seen references to them in novels, and surely the Great British Bake-Off has featured the concoction. I usually bake a cheese cake for Easter, topped with strawberries.

    Noye's Fludde! I was in several productions as a choir girl, playing a mouse in the rodent section. The chamber orchestra was augmented by a homemade instrument: a metal hammock support strung with rope supporting an assortment of coffee mugs tapped with a wooden spoon. Bizarre.

    It's Palm Sunday in Cincinnati. It's raining and the sky is black. Happy Easter to you and yours!

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    1. You're most welcome Margaret, and Happy Easter back to you and your family. Yes, I did watch the GBBO Pavlova episode and was just glad that I didn't conjure up Paul in the kitchen yesterday. I love knowing that you have Noyes Fludde experience too. Such a great piece of theatre with beautiful music. A very special memory for me. My guess is the hammock-ophon was used to start the storm. Very creative.

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    2. Laughing. I wish I could have put on a resume that I was in the rodent section of a performance!

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    3. Horn section, strings section, rodent section...

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    4. What a delight to see that video of Benjamin Britten and his Noye's Fludde ! My college choir performed a great deal of Britten (my favourite part of my college years) but somehow never this one...but I did manage to visit Britten's area of East Anglia which brought back wonderful memories of his brilliant music. Oh to have been a child (mouse, rabbit, whatever) in one of his performances ! The Pavlova looks marvelous, must give that a try. Thank you for the memories !

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  7. This is my favorite dessert, but I've never made one, too daunting. I used to buy them from Grandma's Sugarplum (I think that was the name) in Belmont Shore, Long Beach, Ca. Wonder if I can find one for next Sunday? I'm not able to make one this year for sure.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed watching us do the work for you Ann. Yes I think I have seen them bought. I just wonder what they add which stops the meringue from 'weeping'. When I took Julia and my version out of the oven after cooling, the meringue was already breaking down. Although it is delicious, soft and sticky too.

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    2. Celia, you did the one we made together without corn starch. I wonder if that's the difference?

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    3. I did wonder about that too Julia, but Pepin's one is made without. Though his egg whites probably knew they had to behave. I do make meringue as it's a good gluten free recipe.

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  8. Thank you Celia and Julia for this Pavlova recipe with videos. It looks simple and delicious. Celia, it is always a pleasure to watch you perform a recipe.
    The video introduction to Noye's fluddle is also very interesting.

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    1. That is so kind of you Danielle, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Noyes Fludde needs to be performed more, such a great community piece.

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  9. Gorgeous! I have never had the courage to attempt the Pavlova myself, but perhaps with videos....

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    1. Thank you Kait, it is a very COVID sort enterprise. I have a lot of time on my hands so setting this up and doing it was really fun. Mind you any project is fun with Julia.

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  10. Simply smashing! Can't wait to try this myself. Thank you, Celia and Julia.

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  11. This is so precious and wonderful and completely delightful! Thank you thank you thank you, I am enchanted! And it is just beautiful. You two are the perfect team.
    And kind of odd to remember… But my mother used to make this! It was such a treat. I think she made individual ones… Does that make sense?

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    1. Many years ago I saw individual Pavlovas on menus, Hank. And dining companions would order them, so I could see they were made like miniatures of the one here.

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    2. Bless you Hank, thank you so much too. I feel happy being back with Reds, I've really missed joining in. Actually I think individual shells are the way to go. This is such a great summer dessert but it is hard to get meringue to behave when the humidity is high. And as you know we had rain in NE Friday night so actually this shell turned out quite well.

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    3. Hank, when I was a kid, my mother would also make meringue desserts for company, particularly the individually sized ones, which takes away the difficulties of cutting into the single large pavlova. Her pièce de résistance was baked Alaska. I think meringue was the thing for fancy desserts back in the sixties? Like tiramisu in the nineties and bitter chocolate in the aughts.

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    4. Oh, maybe so. Like fondue as an entree in the ....70's?

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  12. The Pavlova is beautiful, and has immediately gone onto my list of lovely desserts I'll never attempt to make. YOU might think it's simple, but there are a whole lot of skills in there that I have yet to master. Also equipment, as I don't have a ready supply of copper bowls, Kitchen-Aid mixers, or food processors to get the sugar fine enough. I'm pretty sure Celia has forgotten more about cooking than I will ever learn.

    But Noyes Fludd! Oh, my God! Is that the setting for a small-town murder mystery or what? A core group of control-freak church matrons and stern choir masters, plus the vicar who has his doubts about turning his sanctuary over to actors. A horde of children in masks and costumes turning up in places they should never be, followed by their anxious mums. Professional musicians for whom this is just another paying gig. Can you imagine all that without passions running deep and dark secrets coming to light?

    And, by the way, I thought the string of tuned tea cups was absolutely precious. Trust percussionists to come up with something like that! The unofficial motto of all percussionists everywhere is, "If I can hit it, I can play it." What fun!

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    1. Gigi, you are so right. Now who is going to write it?

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    2. I agree that it is a perfect setting for murder. OMG! Is this deja vu or do you keep coming up with these ideas, Gigi?

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    3. So many ideas. So little time to write them.

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    4. I don't think Ginny Malliet (pen name GM Malliet) is doing her Fr. Max Tudor mysteries anymore, but she would be the absolute best writer for this plot bunny.

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  13. Gigi, I agree, I only turn out things like this for you Reds! I would rather being making Debs recipe from last week to be honest, but as Julia and I agreed, the likelihood off getting tasty off the vine tomatoes in Maine right now is moot. Maybe later. Yes I do have a lot of equipment, the result of the British Butler so many years ago. Luckily my grandsons enjoy cooking so I have hopes of passing some of this stuff on come the time.
    Well, I think you should get writing the mystery. You're right, it has all the elements. I just finished reading Raven Black. Anne Cleeves writes with such tension around the New Years celebrations, I couldn't put it down till finished, and I didn't guess the murderer. Noyes Fludde is just like the Revels.org that we have been involved with and try to see in Cambridge every year. A big community production, with all the fun, fights and tension one gets when mixing disparate parts into a great whole.

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    1. Any kind of non-professional production like that is rife with possibilities. I might get after writing it when I finish the three WIPs I've already got going.

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    2. Gigi, please keep me in the loop wakefieldpro at gmail will find me.

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  14. Celia: I name you Star Baker and I am definitely shaking your hand!

    Thank you for a delightful post and delicious recipe. I covet your copper mixing bowl. Wow!!

    Happy Sunday, everyone.

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    1. Amanda, that copper bowl was something. I helped Celia pull it out of the Kitchenaid holder, and I swear it looked like a Norman knight's helmet.

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    2. Thank you Amanda, you are too kind and not noticing my meringue cracked! Yes, having a catering co. gave me lots of buying power. I can't remember where I got the bowl but I am sure it was on sale. Fortunately or not, there wasn't a video of Julia and I trying to get the copper and stainless bowls apart, it's quite a tug of war.

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  15. Celia, this was great. Thank you.

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  16. I've seen Pavlovas made before, on TV. I've never attempted one. My mom used to make meringue cookies. I'm pretty sure she folded in mini chocolate chips, that somehow kept most of their shape even they were baked in an oven. Maybe because it was such a low temperature and then they stayed in the oven, after it was turned off, overnight. I also remember her calling me for paper grocery bags. Mom probably didn't think it necessary to have parchment paper for this one recipe that she made maybe once a year. Nothing else she cooked would have called for parchment. Nice to see and Julia cooking together again, Celia.

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    1. It was great to be back as Celia's scullery maid, Deana. (I think sous chef is overestimating my contributions.)

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    2. Thank you Deana, both Victor and I have missed seeing Julia, she was one of about 3 people in our bubble early on, but she had other things to do so we had to stay apart. It's always fund with her, and scullery maid is NOT how I characterize her work with me.

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  17. I am in awe! Anything that requires beaten egg whites and a pastry bag are beyond me. Enjoying it vicariously. Thanks for sharing, Celia!

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    1. I'm always struck by how relatively simple dishes I thought were complex turn out to be -- if you have the right equipment. Celia has EVERYTHING, so she makes it easy. I have a whisk and an ancient food processor - I don't think I'm going to be making pavlova at home anytime soon.

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    2. It is always a great pleasure Hallie to be involved in Julia's plans for all the Reds. When her next book is done hopefully we can have a party at my daughter's home just west of you and meet you and Hank and anyone else who can make it. Egg whites are easy but this is only something I would do for Reds. We have a lovely Chocolate House here in Limerick - Wright Chocolate House - so all desserts just stay with chocolate.

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    3. Can I come to the party too? ;^)

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  18. I certainly enjoyed the latest Celia and Julia cooking show! I've read recipes for pavlova for years but have never attempted one. And I'm still not tempted to. I need to taste one first and see if it is worth the huge cleanup that would be necessary afterwards. I am not a neat person in the kitchen.

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    1. Clean up was a lot faster with two people, Pat! The combination of textures and levels of sweetness (the meringue is very sweet, the whipped cream and fruits less so) make it unique. I can't think of anything quite like the meringue base, which is very crisp as you bite into it, but becomes chewy.

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    2. Pat, Hi, this is my second iteration of comments. So glad you enjoyed our efforts to brighten Sunday morning. My recommendation would be to make individual or baby Pavlova's, much easier to cope with. As for the clean up, Yes, there were two bowls, 2 sets of whisks, then the spatulas etc. but other than my copper bowl all went into the dishwasher whose job it is to clean up after me. I am with you, not neat in the kitchen. I think we all develop our own approach to kitchen clean. I like to do it at the end.

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  19. Sounds yummy. Is it similar to an English trifle ?

    Diana

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    1. Diana, it has some similarities, but the textures are very different. There's the same "layer that holds everything/creamy stuff/fruit" but the meringue is crisp, then chewy as you eat it, and the creamy base is whipped cream. Most of the trifles I've had are made with some sort of custard.

      I have a terrific and very easy trifle that was my mom's go-to; I should do that some week. It's a super easy summer dessert, looks like you spent a lot of time, and can be made in completely no-fat version (my dad was on a low fat diet for a number of years.)

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    2. Julia, thank you. I noticed some similarities like the Irish potato pancake and the potato latke, the English Pimm's and the Spanish sangria, and so on.

      Happy Sunday!

      Diana

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    3. Diana - if you saw the trifle episode on GBBO, you would see there are as many kinds of trifle out there as there are chocolate mousse recipes. For me a trifle always had a layer of lady fingers well soaked in sherry on the bottom and round the sides too if wanted, then layers of whipped cream, jelly (Jello in cheaper restaurants), fruit, fresh or canned, I've had both, more cream, maybe a layer of sponge with jam /preserve on it and covered over with more cream decorated with almonds, candied violets and Angelica stripes. Another dessert from the past and staying there. I shall encourage Julia to make her trifle and I will video her for you!

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  20. Celia and Julia, you two make a terrific team! Celia will know this, of course, but the sloppy version of the Pavlova is the British Eton Mess, where the meringue is broken in pieces and stirred into a glass with whipped cream and fresh fruit. One of my favorite pub desserts! I know the Whole Foods in London always has gorgeous meringues in the bakery section--now I am going to have to check out my own WFM. I could definitely manage whipping cream and cutting up fruit for Easter:-)

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    1. Debs, I thought I had seen places where one could buy a pre-made meringue shell! Since I have neither a copper bowl, a hand beater or pastry bags, I'm 100% in favor of this version.

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    2. Ooh, that sounds great Debs. Now I want to make a trifle for Easter, too. (Except I broke my trifle bowl years ago, boo. Might have to acquire a new one...)

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    3. Thank you Debs, you know how much I love doing this for the Reds. Yes, I don't remember when I last had an Eton mess. I am sure that all the Whole Foods have meringues particularly at this time of the year.
      Julia you are welcome to borrow the copper bowl, Connor's beaters and a pastry bag! Hehe.

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  21. I love the videos! Celia is a natural, with a hint of Julia Child's not caring about dropping the chicken on the floor. Thank you both, dear ladies.

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  22. Thank you Edith, glad you enjoyed them. Yes, I loved Julia Child, a real devil may care attitude to life and cooking but with such precision. Think go on the kitchen floor here and right back up again. Waste not, want not.

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