Pavlova - does anyone have a failsafe way of making this without the middle dropping after turning off oven?

I have tried a couple diff recipes - some need cream of tartar, some need baking powder, some more eggs than others. HELP!Pavlova - does anyone have a failsafe way of making this without the middle dropping after turning off oven?
If you want a pavlova with a marshmallow centre, then it will sink. The reason is simple as everyone agrees, its for filling with fruit and cream.


There are a couple of golden rules.


Always have egg whites at room temperature. Use only a glass bowl or copper bowl, never use a plastic one.


The recipe I use has never let me down.





Beat 4 egg whites until they form peaks.


SLOWLY add 1 cup of castor sugar. (125. grams.)


Add three quarters of a teaspoon of vanilla and white vinegar.


Beat for a further one and a half minutes.


Pile or pipe on to a tray, I use a base of baking paper.


Bake at 100c for approx. one and a quarter hours.


Turn the oven off, leave the door open slightly until cool.


if you want just a plain crispy pav. then omit the vanilla and vinegar but use and extra quarter cup of castor sugar.Pavlova - does anyone have a failsafe way of making this without the middle dropping after turning off oven?
Cannot offer you a fail safe receip. However, I can tell you that there are several different types of pavlova - e.g. extra soft, soft, medium, hard etc - do not know the names of all the types.





It has to do with the type you choose to make - the amount of sugar.





If it drops in the middle - just pile on the cream and the fruit when you serve it - no one will tell.





Cream of tartar I seem to remember can cause it to do this - as it expands in the oven like a soffule then flops.











Also, the egg whites can be beaten to three stages - if you only beat to stage two it may fail. When I studied food we were told that some people think there are four stages of beating the egg white - it has too much sugar and I have not made it since I left food school.
how long do you cook it for


you should cook for around 10 mins at about 200 degrees celsius


and then 1 hour at 160 degrees celsius








also dont over beat the eggs


you dont want them to lose their bounce


mix the sugar in gradually


use 5 egg whites


make sure the eggs are like fully beaten before you add sugar








good luck xx
I believe that the middle is supposed to drop in order to add your custard or fruit to the top of the pavlova. You might take a look at a recipe on the FoodNetwork, specifically The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. She has a killer recipe that I intend to try this summer.
All pavlova's drop in the middle as they cool - they're meant too! And, if for some reason the pav doesn't drop, you then have to squash it a bit to put the cream and fruit on top.
I usually make these last and leave them in the oven over night after I turn the oven off.