This is both excellent and great when you want chocolaty goodness. Mine is out in the kitchen right now, and I really want to get up to eat some more... (Dribble)

Chocolate Pavlova

You need:

You will do:

A good Pavlova is made or destroyed in the egg whites. Get a bowl. A clean bowl. If it has just been washed get a very dry towel and dry the bowl until it is very dry. Same with the mixing implements. Even a single drop of water will affect the egg whites.

Separate the eggs very carefully. Use two or three bowls for this: in bowl 1 put the egg yolk, in bowl 2 the egg white and in bowl 3 the egg shell. Then empty bowl 2 (the egg whites) into the mixing bowl and separate the next egg in the same fashion. Even a single drop of egg yolk will affect the egg whites.

Vigorously mix the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and appear nice and shiny. Going past the nice and shiny stage is frowned on (and is seen as the egg whites going from shiny to weird and clumpy), but doesn't affect you very much. This will probably take two minutes.

Add the sugar in small amounts. Measuring it out into a separate bowl and then slowly tipping small amounts into the egg white is recommended. If you add it too quickly your mixture may lose its stiff peaks. Don't panic you'll just have to stand there for ten minutes (yes ten minutes, no I am not kidding) for the mixture to thicken up and turn back into stiff peaks.

Add the cream of tartar/white vinegar and vanilla. I assume that the vanilla paste would work, I used the essence. This recipe began with cream of tartar but white vinegar can be used to take the place of the cream of tartar, which I never have used in a Pavlova.

Sift the cocoa and cornflour. About cornflour: I err on the side of caution and probably put too little in (normally more like 1 teaspoon) but too much cornflour does noticeably ruin the taste. Slowly add them to the mixture and stir by hand. You don't need electric tools for this and I'm not sure what would happen if you did use them.

Put a sheet of grease-proof paper on a baking tray and pile the Pavlova mix onto it. It shouldn't be wider than about 20 centimeters (8 inches). Create patterns as you see fit. You could also make meringues with this, the recipes are so similar that it won't matter too much, and meringue basically equals tiny Pavlovas.

Cook at 150 C or about 300 F for twenty minutes in a fan forced oven. Then decrease the temperature to 120 C (250 F) for an hour and a half. (I have looked at other recipes with instructions for non fan forced ovens and I think that these temperatures should be fine, since it is rather hot for a Pavlova. Just keep an eye on it and put it in for twenty or so minutes longer.) Once the cooking time is done turn off the oven and leave the Pavlova in there as it cools. The outside should be a very pale brown, and nearly a pinky-color. The inside will be (should be) a lovely gooey chocolate color and taste.

Eat! And serve with whipped cream or a small amount of ice cream, I prefer just cream. The Pavlova should be kept in a airtight box and eaten within two days. It doesn't have to be kept in the fridge.