EGGS cracks pav competition

EGGS cracks pav competition

Fourteen year old Epsom Girls Grammar School student Alexa Hindson has produced the overall winning recipe in Nosh Food Market’s third annual home-made pavlova competition.

And to cap off a cracking good day for the Auckland school, Alexa also took out the children’s section while fellow student Britta van Thiel was runner up. The girls’ teacher Kathy Henley-Smith was runner up in the overall section.

The winner of the Best Dressed pavlova prize was 2010’s overall winner Heather Hamilton while Stephanie Eller was runner up.

While 102 people had registered for the competition, there were only 56 entries on the day up from 45 last year. Judge Annabelle White attributed the attrition to the “inclement humidity which is the worst weather for making a pav”.

Ms White described Alexa’s Pavlova, inspired by a Jamie Oliver recipe, as having “a lovely texture with a good variety of fruit and a good ratio of cream to meringue”.

“She has delivered a pavlova with great overall balance and one that is not too sweet,” Ms White says. “But most important, her pavlova has absolutely wonderful crust integrity. You get a lovely hit of marshmallow that is not too cooked or sweet followed by a more-ish after taste that is very desirable.”

Fifteen girls from the EGGS food technology class entered the competition Ms Henley-Smith said. She encouraged them to do so because they had just completed a module on Kiwiana and “it was a fun thing to do at year’s end”.

The competition was held at the Nosh Mt Eden store and Ms White says she was judging on “some crumb texture without being chalky”.

“I was looking for granny’s cheeky meringue experience which is incredibly difficult to achieve because it is affected by so many factors. To achieve such great examples of the pavlova art in today’s weather is quite remarkable,” Ms White says.

All winners receive $300 Nosh Dosh and a month’s supply of FRENZ eggs and the runners up in each category receive $100 Nosh Hamper.

Best overall pavlova: Alexa Hindson
Runner up: Kathy Henley-Smith

Best child’s (under 15) pavlova: Alexa Hindson
Runner up: Britta van Thiel

Best dressed pavlova: Heather Hamilton
Runner up: Stephanie Eller

www.noshfoodmarket.co.nz

ENDS

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