Jaffa Pavlova: A Chocolate Orange Twist on a Kiwi Classic

Today I’m heading over to Mary’s place for a Mid-Winter Christmas celebration, and I wanted to take along a dessert that combines a little bit of New Zealand tradition with a flavour that everyone will recognise.

I was starting to wonder just how much chocolate I could fit on one pavlova!

Of course, no Kiwi Christmas celebration would be complete without a pavlova. Normally ours is piled high with summer fruit like berries, kiwifruit and passionfruit, but seeing it’s the middle of winter, I thought I’d give it a different look.

Chocolate and orange have always been one of my favourite combinations, so that became the inspiration for today’s pavlova. The result is my Jaffa Pavlova.

If you’re reading from overseas, you might be wondering why we’re celebrating Christmas in the middle of the year.

The reason is simple. While many of you celebrate Christmas during winter, here in New Zealand it falls right in the middle of summer. That means our Christmas Day is more likely to involve a barbecue, salads and seafood than roast dinners and hot desserts.

That’s why Christmas in July, or Mid-Winter Christmas as many of us call it, has become so popular. It gives us the chance to enjoy all those cosy winter traditions that people in the Northern Hemisphere take for granted – roast dinners, Christmas decorations, Christmas music and, of course, plenty of delicious food.

It’s also a great excuse to get together with friends and celebrate Christmas all over again.

Many Kiwis will remember Jaffas, those little orange-flavoured chocolate balls that were once a favourite treat at the movies. The chocolate and orange combination has stood the test of time, so I thought, why not turn it into a pavlova?

This one is topped with whipped cream, fresh orange segments, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, homemade orange drizzle, chocolate curls and a few candied orange slices for a bit of fun.

It looked right at home on the Mid-Winter Christmas table and tasted every bit as good as I’d hoped.

Basker’s Verdict

Now, anyone who knows Basker will know that he is not really a fan of sweet food. Desserts are not usually his first choice, and chocolate is another thing he can happily live without!

So when I told him I was making a Jaffa Pavlova with chocolate, orange and a sweet drizzle, I was not expecting too much excitement. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised when Basker helped himself to a generous serving and declared it was “okay”!

For Basker, that is actually high praise! Maybe the combination of the fresh orange, light cream and crunchy pavlova won him over. Or maybe he was just humouring my latest kitchen experiment — either way, I was happy with his verdict!

Everyone at Mary’s Mid-Winter Christmas dinner enjoyed it. There were lots of lovely comments around the table and the pavlova disappeared in no time, which is always a good sign. Basker may not be rushing out to buy a Terry’s Chocolate Orange anytime soon, but everyone else seemed more than happy to have another slice!

Check out my other Christmas recipes: Get the Recipe

Recipe:

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🎄 ❄️ 🍊 🍫 ✨ 🧡 🍰 🤍 🎁 ⭐ 🥂

Jaffa Pavlova: A Mid-Winter Christmas Dessert with Chocolate and Orange

Servings: 8-10
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 60 mins
Difficulty: moderate
Rating: ★★★★★
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A classic Kiwi pavlova with a winter twist, topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream, fresh orange segments, Terry's Chocolate Orange pieces and a delicious orange drizzle.

Tips:

Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature for the best result.
Add the sugar slowly to create a glossy, stable meringue.
Allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven before decorating.
Only add the topping shortly before serving to keep the pavlova crisp.
Prepare the orange drizzle and candied orange slices ahead of time and chill before serving.

Recipe Credit: Pavlova base by Kiwi chef Peter Gordon’s mother, Timmy, with my own Jaffa-inspired topping.

Ingredients

Pavlova Base:

6 egg whites (at room temperature)
2 cups caster sugar
2 tablespoons corn flour
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Jaffa Topping:

300ml cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
2-3 oranges, peeled and segmented
1 Terry’s Chocolate Orange, broken into segments
Chocolate curls or grated chocolate (optional)

Orange Drizzle:

½ cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon corn flour mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Candied Orange Slices:

1 orange, thinly sliced
½ cup caster sugar
¼ cup water

Directions

Preheat – Preheat the oven to 180°C (regular bake). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Whip Egg Whites – In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Add Sugar – Gradually add the sugar, one spoon at a time, beating continuously. This process should take about 10 minutes. Add the first cup of sugar slowly, then the second cup can be added a little faster.
Stop Beating – Once all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture is thick and glossy, stop beating. Do not beat more than 10 mins.
Add Remaining Ingredients – Sprinkle over the corn flour, malt vinegar and vanilla extract. Gently mix until just combined.
Shape Pavlova – Spoon the mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and shape into a large circle with slightly raised edges.
Bake – Place the pavlova into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 130°C. Bake for 1 hour.
Cool – Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside until completely cool or leave overnight. Do not open the oven door.
Prepare Orange Drizzle – Place orange juice and sugar in a saucepan and simmer gently. Add corn flour mixture and stir until slightly thickened. Add lemon juice. Cool completely.
Prepare Candied Orange Slices – place the orange slices, caster sugar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved and the water begins to simmer. Allow the orange slices to cook for about 15-20 minutes until translucent. Remove from heat and let the slices cool on a piece of baking paper or a wire rack.
Prepare Cream – Whip the cream with icing sugar, vanilla and orange zest until soft peaks form.
Decorate – Carefully transfer the cooled pavlova to a serving plate. Spread with whipped cream, arrange orange segments, candied orange garish and Terry’s Chocolate Orange pieces on top, sprinkle with chocolate curls then drizzle with the cooled orange sauce.