Chocolate Pavlova Base Spread When Baked

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Nigella's Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova (from NIGELLA SUMMER) has a meringue that is flavoured with cocoa and studded with finely chopped chocolate. All meringues will spread a little when baked, as the air trapped in the egg whites expands. However if the meringue has spread out a lot and is thin it is most likely that the egg whites were whisked too much or it is possible that there was some grease that came into contact with the whites, preventing them from whisking properly.

When making any meringue check that the bowl and whisk are completely clean and free of grease. It can help to wipe any equipment with a little lemon juice or white wine vinegar to make sure that any traces of grease are removed. Also make sure that there is no yolk in the egg white. The whites should be whisked to soft peaks before adding the sugar. If you lift the whisk then the whites will form a peak that just flops over at the tip, but if the whites are starting to look slightly lumpy or like cotton wool then they have been whisked too much. If you are using a powerful freestanding mixer then stop frequently to check which stage the whites are at and don't use full power. After adding the first tablespoon of sugar whisk the whites back to the same state before adding the remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time. The whites should be stiff and glossy once all of the sugar has been incorporated.