Pav prize a sweet win

Top pavlova makers put their best whisks forward last week to claim their place as the cream of the crop.

The pavlova competition was held by the Central Leader and Nosh to celebrate Nosh's new Mt Eden store on Dominion Rd.

It saw 16 pavs of all shapes, sizes and decorative varieties competing for the title.

Carolyn Hutchins was announced the winner on the day for her free form pavlova, piled with fresh berries.

Mrs Hutchins says the dessert is a bit of a speciality and is a favourite among family and friends.

"It's nothing elaborate, I do the same pav every time," she says. "I just made it a little bit festive."

She says the recipe is a hand-me-down from her grandmother and has never failed her.

"It always works every single time, I've never had a problem with it."

While she'll be keeping the recipe for Auckland's best pavlova tightly under wraps, the one secret she can share is to beat the egg whites for as long as possible - she takes up to 15 minutes.

Her prize was $500 worth of Nosh Dosh vouchers to spend at the store, which she says will come in handy when preparing meals at Christmas and New Year.

"It's an absolute treat," she says.

Cuisine magazine food editor Lauraine Jacobs, who helped judge the competition along with Nosh chef Anthony Joseph and Central Leader editor Katherine Forbes, says Mrs Hutchins' dessert was everything they were looking for.

"It had a crisp, crunchy crust, even marshmallow interior, perfectly whipped cream and fresh berries.

"And we loved the festive touch of the little silver beads to decorate," she says.

The first runner-up in the competition was Natalie Wild, whose pavlova was described as "innovative" by the judges.

"The lemon cream added an exciting dimension and we loved the Kiwi Christmas decorations," they said.

Second runner-up was William Lockie for his classic pavlova described by the judges as having perfect shape and perfect texture.

"This pavlova had lovely, subtle decoration. Maybe the baker was a professional."

Both runners-up received $250 worth of Nosh vouchers.

The new Mt Eden Nosh store is now open at 422 Dominion Rd.

- © Fairfax NZ News