Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This
Pavlova with Sweetened Whipped Cream and Berries
Dessert
Tom has had a long love affair with dessert but he is quite fickle about naming his favorite. However, every time our friend, Gema, makes pavlova for dessert, he swoons and turns to me and asks, “Why don’t you ever make this for me?” (true story!).
The answer to that question is, I thought it would be hard to make. Gema assured me it is a very easy dessert so I scoured the internet finally deciding on a recipe I had torn out of the now defunct Fine Cooking Magazine in 2020.
Similar to a crunchy meringue cookie on the edges but with a marshmallow interior, pavlova is made from egg whites that are baked in a relatively cool oven (so it doesn’t deflate). With whipped cream and fruit or chocolate spooned over the top pavlova makes a truly impressive looking dessert too.
There are many tweaks to this recipe online but it seems there is only one hard fast rule which is to leave the oven door SHUT until the pavlova is completely cooled so it won’t deflate or crack as much.
Confession: I pulled the shell out after ninety minutes of cooling to get it photographed. It was still a tiny bit warm and it immediately cracked in a few places, so if you have the time, leave it in the oven for a few hours until completely cooled.
MaiTai Tracy’s Tip: Test your eggs for freshness. Place the eggs in a bowl of water. If they lay on their sides at the bottom, good to go! If the egg floats to the top, it is past its prime. And when I say fresh, I also mean not too fresh. The eggs should be at least a week old or they don’t whip as well. It is easier to separate the eggs while cold as the yolks tend to break much easier when room temperature.
As for toppings, for this recipe I used strawberries and blueberries as they are particularly delicious right now tossed with a splash of Grand Marnier and orange zest. If you want to use raspberries, try this delectable raspberry sauce I used for an almond cake recipe or Mr. C’s boozy Strawberry Armagnac sauce. Maybe some lemon curd? In that old issue of Fine Cooking the pavlova was topped with mint whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate … reminiscent of a Thin Mint. Go wild!
Happy Spring!
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for the topping:
4 cups fresh berries of your choice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau
2 tablespoons sugar
Zest from 1 orange (preferably a Cara Cara)
Ingredients for Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream, well chilled
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle in the middle to use as a guide for placing the pavlova. Turn the parchment over.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons sugar together.
In a stand mixer with whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer, combine the egg whites, white distilled vinegar (or lemon juice) and salt. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about two minutes.
With the mixer still running on medium-high, slowly add the remaining sugar, one tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture, then the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 1 minute more.
Spoon the meringue in the center of the circle and using the back of a large spoon spread it out to the edges, about 2-inches high on the edges leaving a 6-inch slightly concave middle.
Bake until firm and dry, about 90 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow to cool in the oven with the door closed for at least another 90 minutes but a few hours is better.
Best used the same day but you can make the pavlova shell up to 3 days ahead just wrap tightly in plastic or an airtight container until ready to assemble.
Make the topping: Combine the berries, sugar, Grand Marnier and orange zest in a medium bowl and let macerate at room temperature for 45 minutes.
Make the Whipped Cream: In a stand mixer with whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla at medium-high speed until medium soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes, be careful not to overbeat. Use immediately or cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
Once the meringue shell is completely cooled and you are ready to serve, spoon the whipped cream into the center and top with the fruit. Garnish with mint or edible flowers if desired (I used mint, nasturtiums, pansies and dianthus). Serve immediately.
Serves 8.
Pavlova shell recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine, April/May 2020 issue.
