When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing blogs or cooking for the lovely Mr G, this is wha

Baker & Foodie Content Creator

Hi.

My name is Lee, welcome to my pages. I hope we can have fun together?

When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing guest blogs, writing my own blog, or even trying to learn how to paint, I’m usually spending time with the amazing Mr G (my husband) or with my lovely daughter or my lovely son (very proud mum).

What is this all about? Great question. This site is about real cooking and baking, real recipes and real mistakes.

No filters here, (although i’d love to find a filter that can take ten years worth of laugh lines away. Just me, whats happening, and whatever cameras or phone i have to hand .

There are many things that get under my bonnet and wiggle around, one of those is food waste. If i buy ingredients specifically for a recipe, and i only need a small amount of the ingredients, i want to be able to use the rest up and not have to throw them away. My mum used to say , “Waste not Want not” is that still a saying ?

For me, waste is not just about using up all the ingredients. What about leftover food? If i’m able , i hope to give ideas as to how to use up any leftovers too.

Be Brave

Cooking isn’t hard , neither is baking, its all about being brave and being ok with making mistakes

Fresh Berry Pavlova with Mascarpone Chantilly Cream

Fresh Berry Pavlova with Mascarpone Chantilly Cream

Lee Majhen-Todd

When a meringues comes out of the oven, I know that spring has sprung and summer is on its way!

Normally!

 This year, my first made meringue for my dinner table, well lunch table to be precise, has only just happened and its only just finished snowing, as I’m writing this, its April!

 I couldn’t leave it any longer, not because I was desperate to eat a pavlova, but more because I was making vanilla custard for another dessert and can’t bear wastage.

So, using egg yolks for the custard meant I had egg whites left which means, of course, pavlova.

 That sounds as though this dessert is second rate, by no means!

  I like to think of it as a super bonus dessert!

 A dessert that comes to the table and no matter which hot dessert I’ve made to accompany the vanilla custard, always gets a “Wow” when its delivered.

 I’ve used two of my favourite soft fruits, blueberries and raspberries, but I know they’re not everyone’s favourites.

Any soft fresh fruit works really well, so use whichever you like best.

 For a bit of a difference, try using fresh figs and drizzling with runny honey!

 Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!

Piled high with creamy h=goodness and fresh fruit!

 

 What You Need

  • 4 Egg Whites - See Tip Box

  • 250g Castor Sugar

  • 1 tsp White Wine Vinegar

  • 1 Tsp Cornflour

  • 1 Tsp Vanilla

  • 1 Pot Mascarpone

  • 300ml Double Cream

  • 3 Tbs Icing Sugar

  • Icing Sugar to dust

  • 1 Large Punnet of Blueberries - See Tip Box

  • 1 Large Punnet of Raspberries

Before baking, with higher side

 

How It’s Done

  •  Heat the oven to 130c

 Meringue

  • Line an oven tray with non-stick baking parchment – See Tip Box

  • Place the egg whites into a very clean and dry bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks an hold their shape

  • Start to add the castor sugar one table spoon at a time, making sure each tablespoon is mixed in and incorporated really well before adding the next – See Tip Box

  • Once all the castor sugar has been used up, beat in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla until everything is smooth – a couple of minutes extra

  • Dollop the meringue onto the non-stick parchment paper, in circle shape.

  • Make a dip in the centre so that the edges are built up a little.

  •  Place the tray into the hot oven and bake for 1 hour.

  • After the hour, turn the oven off, leave the door closed and leave the meringue like this, in the oven until completely cold - overnight is best!

  • Once completely cold, or the next morning – very gently remove the meringue from the parchment paper and place it onto a suitable sized serving plate

Baked, left to cool overnight in the oven.

 To Decorate

  • Place the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until thick and creamy.

  • Spoon the creamy mixture into the middle of crisp meringue and gently spread it around

  • Pile the soft fruit on top of the cream mixture until they are all piled high

  • Use a tea strainer to dust icing sugar over the top of the fresh fruit

  • Serve immediately - See Tip Box

Once slice of three

 Tip Box

  • Soft Fruit – I used blueberries and raspberries, but whatever your favourite soft fruit is, use that.

  • Eggs – Don’t throw the egg yolks away, use them to make custard or even freeze them by placing them into ice cube trays, piercing them with a toothpick and freezing.

  • Line Tray – Sometime it’s easier to make a shape of the pavlova by drawing a circle on the parchment paper in pencil.

If you do this, turn the paper over before cooking so that the pencil doesn’t transfer to the cooked meringue.

  • Bowl – When whipping the egg whites, it’s important to make sure that the owl is completely clean and grease free.

  • Castor Sugar – Adding the castor sugar one tablespoon at a time may sound a little like over kill, but it makes a difference to how the meringue turns out. Before adding the next tablespoon of castor sugar, make sure the previous one has all been beaten in.

  • Mixing – When beating the eggs and beating the cream etc, I use an electric mixer to make it easier, but using a hand whisk works just as well, it just takes a little more time.

  • Serving – Once the Pavlova is filled with the cream mixture, its best to serve very soon after.

If you want to make ahead and stop the meringue going soggy, make the meringue and don’t add the cream until just before serving.

Fresh blueberries and raspberries. my favourite!

 

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