It's Magic!

Not sure if you remember or not, but back in October I received this in a swap from the lovely Trace.

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We made it for our Christmas lunch we shared with friends last Sunday. :-) So since several of you back in NZ have asked I am going to tell you how I found it!

First step ... READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!! They make it so simple! When you open the "egg" you use one half to measure the milk and the other to measure the sugar. How simple is that! (pity I didn't read the instructions first heheee) I did check though that my sugar measure was the same as it was supposed to be and it was! ;-) The instructions also had handy tips on it which were interesting.

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So you put it in the mixer and leave it to do its thing ... which at our house generally involves at least two sticky beaks watching the beater go round!

And you watch it beat and beat and beat (I would not and could not make a pav using a hand beater!! Even a hand held small electric beater would take it's toll on your arm just holding the beater!) The mixture got peaks like it was supposed to and how it would if you had made one from scratch.

Beady little eyes kept an eye on it in the oven. Instructions said DON"T open the oven door during the cooking and cooling process ... but when little people swing on the oven door handle the door sometimes opens!
It did spread a little during the cooking process which it said it would.
And looked pretty good when it came out and after it had cooled. But the next day when I went to get it out and decorate it, it cracked very easily. (Never mind that can be covered up by loads of whipped cream!)
We put whipped cream, fresh strawberries, grapes and passion fruit on the top. I am not sure if it was the weight of the goodness on top that cracked it even more or not, but it did crack and slump a bit between decorating and getting it to the table.

Landslide!
Taste wise ... it was good. Inside texture was very like "marshmallow" I thought. Nothing wrong with that - some pavs are like marshmallow, but when I make from scratch they aren't. Not sure if it's because I might cook it a bit longer or what. Not sure on that. Our Chinese friends liked it though because they said it wasn't as "sweet". I think when a pavlova has a firmer outer shell/crust the sugar might be more noticeable? Anyone else think that?

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So would I use another one? Yes I probably would. I think they would make great gifts because really it's very simple to do (if you read the instructions hehee) And if you like marshmallow type pavs then it's definitely a must have on your shopping list! ;-)

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So thanks Trace - it was delicious and there weren't any leftovers which is always a good sign! :-)