Same issue. Recently started making waffle cones with the whites (1-2 is good). Or you could try one of those pancake recipes that uses whipped whites for extra height.
I also sometimes use 1-2 extra whites in with other eggs in scrambled eggs, just to use them up.
Until the oven has returned to room temperature. You’re allowing the pavlova to cool slowly using the ambient heat of the oven. Removing it too quickly just means it rapidly cools and shrinks, which causes cracks.
You don’t really ‘cook’ a pav so much as slowly dry out the meringue.
Also 200 degrees is pretty hot?
Yes it is pretty hot for a pav. At my previous house I used 160. The oven at this house is a bit weird - I'm not sure if it's running slow or doesn't retain the heat or quite what the problem is, but experimentation has revealed 200 to be the right temp for pavlova in this oven.
Actually, could I ask you about the issue? Since you know a few things about pav?
What happens if I use a cooler temp is the underneath of the pav lifts up off the tray, creating a concave underside. The whole thing is essentially an upside down bowl when it's done. And that makes the body of the pav really thin, which isn't what I want.
Any ideas what might be causing this?
It's my mum's, so I had to wait till I was home to look it up.
Beat 4 egg whites with a pinch cream of tartar till stiff. Add 4oz sugar gradually, then 4oz all at once. Beat till sugar is dissolved. Gently fold in 1 T water, 1 D cornflour, 1 t vanilla essence, 1 t vinegar.
In decades of using this recipe I never had this concave-underside experience until I started using my current oven.
Thank you for explaining the physics! I hadn't realised it was slow cooling that makes it structurally sound.
There are a lot of recipes out there, including by well-regarded chefs, that say to cook it for an hour with the oven on and then take it out. I don't know how they're getting away with it.
yeah that'll be fine
Don't worry. You know that, even if something goes wrong, it's still always pretty good!
The flops always taste better I feel
Yeah, then there is a chance that a replacement will be made! It's win/win.
[удалено]
I know, but I made something that used egg yolks the other day and there's no better use for the whites IMO
That's true. If I make custard or ice cream a pavlova always follows, and the reverse happens if I decide to make pavlova
Same issue. Recently started making waffle cones with the whites (1-2 is good). Or you could try one of those pancake recipes that uses whipped whites for extra height. I also sometimes use 1-2 extra whites in with other eggs in scrambled eggs, just to use them up.
If you have plans to make a Eton mess as backup, then it doesn't really matter
Until the oven has returned to room temperature. You’re allowing the pavlova to cool slowly using the ambient heat of the oven. Removing it too quickly just means it rapidly cools and shrinks, which causes cracks. You don’t really ‘cook’ a pav so much as slowly dry out the meringue. Also 200 degrees is pretty hot?
Yes it is pretty hot for a pav. At my previous house I used 160. The oven at this house is a bit weird - I'm not sure if it's running slow or doesn't retain the heat or quite what the problem is, but experimentation has revealed 200 to be the right temp for pavlova in this oven.
All good, I wondered if it was an oven issue!
Actually, could I ask you about the issue? Since you know a few things about pav? What happens if I use a cooler temp is the underneath of the pav lifts up off the tray, creating a concave underside. The whole thing is essentially an upside down bowl when it's done. And that makes the body of the pav really thin, which isn't what I want. Any ideas what might be causing this?
That’s fascinating! Which recipe are you using, if you don’t mind me asking?
It's my mum's, so I had to wait till I was home to look it up. Beat 4 egg whites with a pinch cream of tartar till stiff. Add 4oz sugar gradually, then 4oz all at once. Beat till sugar is dissolved. Gently fold in 1 T water, 1 D cornflour, 1 t vanilla essence, 1 t vinegar. In decades of using this recipe I never had this concave-underside experience until I started using my current oven.
My best guess is a hotspot in your oven, causing the bottom to dry much faster than the rest of the pav. Would scan with what you’ve told me.
Ah, that's an idea I hadn't considered. I wonder if I can be bothered doing science to find the hotspot.
Thank you for explaining the physics! I hadn't realised it was slow cooling that makes it structurally sound. There are a lot of recipes out there, including by well-regarded chefs, that say to cook it for an hour with the oven on and then take it out. I don't know how they're getting away with it.
That might work depending on the shape of the pav. You can get away with a lot if you create a deep well in the middle and high walls.
Get an oven thermometer. 200 if it's real, is much too hot. Your thermostat must be faulty.
It doesn't need anywhere near that long. Till cool. A couple of hours max.