Peach and Cointreau Kataifi Pavlova

Ingredients

For the Pavlova
225 g egg whites (approximately 6 egg whites), at room temperature

Pinch salt

450 g caster sugar

2 tsp cornflour

1½ tsp white vinegar

For the syrup
½ cup sugar

½ cup water

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoons Cointreau

To decorate
100 g Antoniou Kataifi Pastry

600 ml thickened cream

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

4 peaches, cut into wedges

Icing sugar, to dust

Recipe Tips

Store bought Pavlova
This is a great option if you don’t have time to make your pavlova.

Prepare the day before
Start the pavlova component of this recipe the day before serving it. The Kataifi, syrup and whipped cream can also be prepared a day in advance; simply store each in an airtight container (and the whipped cream in the fridge). 

Cracking Pavlova
Don’t stress if your pavlova cracks in parts – it is completely normal for it do so! 

Assembling the Pavlova
Assemble the pavlova just before you are ready to serve it.

Method  

Before you begin this Kataifi Pastry recipe, take the Kataifi out of the fridge (still in its packet) to bring it up to room temperature. 

To make the Pavolva (day prior)
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place a 20cm cake tin on some baking paper and draw a circle around it. Flip the piece of baking over and place it onto a lightly oiled baking tray.

Place the egg whites into the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer with the salt. Whisk on medium until peaks form. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing at least 15 seconds before each sugar addition.

Once the sugar has all been added, whisk for a further 5 minutes. Place some mixture between two of your fingers, if the sugar has not completely incorporated, whisk for a further 2 minutes, at which point the mixture should feel smooth. Add the cornflour and vinegar and very gently fold through.

Place the mixture onto the centre of the circle on your prepared baking tray. Using a spatula and palette knife shape your pavlova into a minimum 20cm round layer, ensuring your edges taper in slightly at the top.

Place in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 110 degrees Celsius. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes. Switch the oven off and leave the pavlova in there with the oven door shut for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

To make the syrup
Place the sugar, water and honey in a saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the Cointreau and allow to cool completely.

To make the Kataifi
Bring the Kataifi Pastry up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Place the Kataifi Pastry in a large bowl and using your fingers, separate the strands.

Place the Kataifi onto a large baking tray, in one layer, ensuring it doesn’t overlap too much, this will ensure it cooks evenly. If you need to, bake it in two separate batches. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely.

For the cream
Place the cream and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form.

To assemble
Place the pavlova on a platter. Drizzle half of the Cointreau syrup over the Kataifi and place it onto the pavlova base. Spoon the cream on top of the Kataifi and top with peaches. Drizzle with Cointreau syrup and dust with icing sugar.

Recipe, styling and photography by Sydney Food Sisters.

Kataifi Haloumi and Pistachio Crunchy Bake

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

For the syrup
1 cup caster sugar

250 ml water

1 tablespoon rosewater or orange blossom water

For the Kataifi Pastry

375 g Antoniou Kataifi Pastry

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup halloumi, finely grated

1 cup fresh pecorino (not aged) or mozzarella, finely grated

¼ cup walnuts, grated

¼ cup pistachios, grated 

150 g unsalted butter, melted

1 lemon, zest

Recipe Tips

Spring form tin
For this recipe we used a spring form baking tin to make it easy to remove & serve the dish.

Assembly
Be sure to push the Kataifi down the sides of the tin to enclose any cheese that may try to ooze out.

Method

Before you begin this Kataifi Pastry recipe, take your Kataifi Pastry out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. 

For the syrup
Pour all of the ingredients for the syrup into a saucepan and simmer gently on a low heat for 10 minutes. 

For the filling
Combine the sugar, halloumi, pecorino, walnuts, pistachios and lemon zest in a large bowl. 

Preparing the Kataifi
Gently open out the Kataifi Pastry and loosen the strands. Then cut the Kataifi into chunks to shorten the length of the strands and place in a bowl. Fluff up the pastry to ensure none of the pastry is clumping together.

Pour the melted butter over the pastry, using your hands to mix through and ensure all the strands are coated with butter. 

Assembly
Place a sheet of baking paper across the bottom of a springform tin. Place half of the pastry into the base of the tin, using your hands to pack the pastry down tightly.

Place the cheese mixture into the dish, keep it in the centre of the pastry so you have a boarder. Top with remaining pastry, ensuring that some goes down the sides of the tin- this will make sure that the cheese stays contained in the dish.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crispy, and the cheese is gooey. 

Remove from the oven and carefully take out of the tin. Flip onto your serving plate and pour over the syrup to serve.

Recipe by Adrian Richardson for Good Chef Bad Chef.