Brown Sugar Pavlova With Lychees And Candied Rose Petals

I am enjoying a quiet morning after weeks. No impending deadlines, no light to chase..no children to cater to..no errands to run. Not today. How have you been, my dear friends? I know you are wondering what I have been up to….suddenly disappearing from blog world. And thank you so much for your beautiful messages and emails expressing concern on my absence. Well, life’s been good. But crazy busy!

You know ‘good’ is great and that’s what we want but ‘good’ shouldn’t come in troops. It’s like the rains. You love the rains. You love it when it falls slowly on your face. You love the smell of fresh earth it brings with along. The patterns it creates on the glass window. The way it makes the leaves glisten in the sunlight. When the same rain results in a torrential downpour, you still love it. You don’t savour it! You are drenched. You are running to save your head.  The last couple of months have been like that. If you have been reading my posts for a while, I went through a really low phase during June-July. I was living a nightmare of uncertainties that engulfed my entire family. So one day the nighmare ends. I open my eyes and I find myself in a dream. The transition from a nightmare to a dream…so beautiful yet so abrupt. Blogging itself is a journey in self discovery for many of us. Who would think we’d enjoy it so much…we want it for a career! I remember telling my husband at the start of the year ‘ I wish I could style and shoot from dawn to dusk and do it for a living’ It came true! It came like the torrential downpour. All of a sudden I am surrounded by work and amazing people. Travelling through time. Shooting Summer in winter…shooting Christmas…shooting outdoors….shooting…shooting till I coudn’t bear to look at images any more. I am currently involved in 3 different projects that I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of. Unfortunately, I cannot share more at this time. They will unfold over the next few months. But yes, you will be able to see some of my work shortly for Styling magazine. Cakes? Yes..quite a few of them that I have styled in different ways!

I hope to post frequently…hope to! Our weather has been funny. Some really warm days…some rainy…and some perfect. Now I am confused which ones I like the most.

As long as it doesn’t pour….

Brown Sugar Pavlova With Lychees and Candied Rose Petals (adapted from Lifestyle Food)
Serves 6

6 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225 g (1 cup) caster sugar
80 g (⅓ cup) soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornfl our
2 tablespoons arrowroot
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 cup heavy/thickened cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Canned pitted lychees, drained
Candied white rose petals, follow this process

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Draw a 20 cm circle on a sheet of baking paper and place the paper on a large baking tray.

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add the caster sugar and brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until all the sugar is incorporated and dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy.

Stir in the cornflour, arrowroot and vinegar. Pile the mixture into the circle on the baking paper and spread gently into shape with a spatula. Put in the oven and reduce the temperature immediately to 130°C. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, then turn off the oven, prop the door ajar and leave the pavlova inside until completely cooled.

Just before serving, layer with whipped cream, lychess and candied rose petals.