Christmas pavlova wreath

What could be more festive than a Christmas pavlova wreath. This make ahead dessert is the perfect for the holiday season.

This Christmas pavlova wreath is the perfect festive dessert. Not only is it as pretty as a picture, you can prepare it ahead of time making it both easy and stress free.

We’ve called it a Christmas pavlova wreath but really you could enjoy it at any time of year. It’s a very simple way of making a regular pavlova a little bit more special and spectacular.

How can kids help to make a Christmas pavlova wreath?

Meringues are very easy to make so they’re great desserts for kids to make and this pavlova wreath is no exception.

There are only a few ingredients so there’s not much to worry about. Older children can help to separate the egg whites and while young children might not manage that, they’ll certainly be able to help whisk them.

My kids also enjoy slowly adding the caster sugar, tea spoon at a time. They took real ownership of this as it’s so simple and it kept them occupied for a long time!

Kids can also help make the wreath shape from spooning on the meringue to smoothing it and making it look pretty. If you mark out the wreath shape on the baking paper and stick it down before you start it’ll make it a bit easier.

Finally, decorating the pavlova is really simple so kids should also enjoy helping with that.

Why has my pavlova cracked in the oven?

A little bit of cracking is normal in a pavlova and nothing to worry about, but if it’s more than that it may be because you’ve cooked it at too high a temperature or let it cool down too fast.

It’s important to cook a pavlova slowly on a low heat. Once it’s cooked you also need to let the pavlova cool down really slowly. Leave it in the oven to cool, without opening the door. I normally leave it for as long as possible, but at least a few hours. If you can make it later in the day and leave it overnight to cool.

If your wreath has cracked and collapsed it could be for a few different reasons so my top tips for making sure this doesn’t happen are:

Make sure you whip your egg whites slowly. Do it on a slow or medium setting so they build up their volume gradually. But don’t over whisk them. Stop when you have nice stiff peaks.
Bake your pavlova slowly for a long time. You need to make sure the meringue is cooked fully on the inside otherwise it will collapse when it cools. But you don’t want to bake it on too high a temperature otherwise it will brown in the oven. Cooking it on low temperature for a long time and then letting it cool slowly in the oven should result in a nice crisp meringue with a slightly soft mallowy centre.

Why is my pavlova weeping?

If you don’t mix the sugar in properly it can leak out in little sugary drops while it’s cooking. It can also lead to your pavlova collapsing. To avoid this, make sure you add the sugar very slowly so it’s fully combined before you bake it.

What fruit should I use for a Christmas pavlova?

The best thing about a pavlova is that it’s so versatile so you can add anything you like or whatever is in season.

I think berries look fabulous on top of the white meringue and cream, but you could use something more exotic if you like.

Why do you add vinegar to a meringue?

The cornflour and vinegar we added is to make the egg whites more stable and helps the meringue achieve that deliciously crisp outside, and soft inside.

We used white wine vinegar as it is easy to get hold of and has less of a taste than some other vinegars.

How long does a pavlova keep?

The meringue itself can keep in a airtight container for up to a month so it’s a great dessert for preparing ahead of time.

Once you’ve made the pavlova wreath and added the cream it will only keep for a day or two. Make sure you keep it covered and refrigerated.

Other Christmas desserts

If you liked this pavlova you’ll love some of our other easy festive desserts:

No bake orange cheesecake
No bake berry cheesecake
Chocolate roulade
Yule log
Chocolate pavlova
Mary Berry pavlova
Peach trifle

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this Christmas pavlova wreath recipe.

Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Hand held whisk
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wire rack

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Ingredients

5 egg whites
250g caster sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tea spoon white wine vinegar

To decorate

600ml double/whipping/heavy cream
Fruit

How to make a Christmas pavlova wreath

Preheat your oven to 140C / 120C Fan / 285F

Prepare the baking tray

Start by drawing a circle approximately 30cm (12 inch) wide in pencil on a sheet of baking / parchment paper. Draw another circle in the middle approximately 10cm wide. This will work as a guide later. Place the baking paper on a baking sheet / tray.

Whisk the egg whites

Get your kids to help separate the egg whites from the yolks if they can. It’s important no yolk goes in the egg whites so it might be better for very young children not to get involved with this step.

We find the easiest way of doing it is to crack the egg and split it open, then we tip the egg yolk between each half of the shell, letting the egg white fall into a small bowl below. When you’re left with just the egg yolk, tip that into a separate bowl.

Pour the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Whisk them with your whisk attachment or a hand held whisk until they are stiff and cloud like. Do it slowly, so it will take a good few minutes. If you have a free-standing use it to save your arm!

Make the meringue

Get your kids to measure out the caster sugar into a small bowl. Keep your mixer running on a medium speed and add the sugar, one tea spoon at a time, until it has all been added. My kids can be kept occupied for ages doing this job! When you’ve finished adding all the sugar, the meringue should look glossy and if you taste a bit it shouldn’t feel grainy.

In a small dish measure the cornflour and vinegar and mix them together into a paste. Pour it into your meringue mixture and whisk it in.

Make the pavlova wreath

Get your kids to dollop large spoons or meringue onto the baking paper you prepared earlier. You might find it easier if you stick it down in the corners with tiny bits of the meringue mixture.

Once you’ve spooned the meringue all around the wreath shape use a palette knife, spatula or the back of a metal spoon to smooth the meringue out all around the sides and the top. Flatten the top a little, and leave a little indent around the top so the cream and fruit sits on it better later.

Bake the Christmas pavlova

Put the meringue wreath in the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 140C / 120C Fan / 275F.

Bake the pavlova for about one hour and 20 minutes then turn the oven off. Leave the pavlova in the oven while it cools – for around 5-6 hours or even overnight if you can.

Decorate the Christmas pavlova

Start by whipping the cream in a free-standing mixer or in a mixing bowl with a hand held whisk. Whip the cream until it has formed soft peaks (peaks which hold up for a few seconds when you take the whisk out before flopping back down into the mixture.

Get your kids to help to prepare the fruit. What they need to do will vary depending on the fruit you use. If you have strawberries, for example, they can help hull and chop them.

Pop your pavlova onto a serving plate then add the cream and fruit on top. If you like, dust a little icing sugar on top just before you serve it.

Keep your pavlova chilled until you serve it. Serve and enjoy.