Easy to make in advance, the perfect canvas for endless variations, and loved by all, pavlova is the king of desserts at any time of year but is particularly welcome at Christmas when a fuss-free centrepiece is the order of the day. Whether you spike the cream with a little booze, scatter over some festive decorations or allow winter fruit to be the simple yet sophisticated focal point, there are plenty of ways to make a pavlova feel Christmassy. Here are some of our favourite recipes.
Looking for more Christmas cooking inspiration? Discover hundreds of recipes, from centrepieces to cocktails, here.
Nigella Lawson’s Blood Orange and Passionfruit Pavlova
Nigella’s winter fruit pavlova is a thing of simple, sophisticated beauty, with a pillowy meringue base, soft whipped cream and a citrus and passionfruit topping delivering plenty of zingy intrigue. You might just be lucky enough to catch the start of the blood orange season, but if not, regular oranges will do just nicely.
Individual Negroni Pavlovas
This deliciously sophisticated take on a classic dessert, developed by former Masterchef finalist Alexina Anatole, is sure to impress at any dinner or cocktail party.
Apple Butterscotch and Hazelnut Pavlova with Boozy Cream
Apples pan-fried and coated in a butterscotch sauce are the absolute star of the show here, though there are touches of magic everywhere you look in this pavlova, including roasted hazelnuts folded into the brown sugar meringues and a cream spiked with Kingston Black Apple aperitif. If you’re ditching the Christmas pudding this year but still fancy something a little boozy and just as special, if not more, this is the pav for you.
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Rochelle Humes’ Salted Caramel Pavlova
This particularly lofty pavlova is scattered with berries and drizzled with salted caramel for extra festive indulgence. We love the addition of Greek yoghurt to the cream topping, which helps to balance the sweetness and add a welcome tang.
Nadiya Hussain’s Tutti Frutti Pavlova
With its topping of twinkling jewel-like dried fruit, Nadiya’s tutti frutti pavlova really looks the festive part.
Pineapple and Ginger Pavlova
A scattering of stem ginger gives this pineapple pavlova from Mary Berry a festive feel. We love adding a drizzle of melted dark chocolate and some edible gold spray for extra festive sparkle.
