Your dinner guests will love Pavlova, a light-as-air dessert that is crispy on the outside, but soft as marshmallows on the inside. Plus, it’s gluten-free.
Pavlova is one of the best examples of the sorcery of sugar and egg whites that originated in Germany and today appears in the cuisines of New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The dessert, named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is really just a meringue base (egg whites and sugar whipped together until fluffy and stiff) with a little corn starch beaten in.
I like to add a few other ingredients as well, such as vanilla extract and salt to balance the flavors, and cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to make the meringue more stable.
The meringue is piped out into a shell that will be baked in a low-temperature oven and topped with fruit and whipped cream after it has cooled.
When preparing a Pavlova, make sure your bowl and beaters are very clean and free of fat or grease or those egg whites won’t whip. It’s also important for the egg whites to be at room temperature before beating them to get more volume.
Superfine (caster) sugar makes a smoother and glossier meringue. It can be found in some supermarkets or online, but you can make it yourself by pulsing granulated sugar in a food processor or blender until it reaches a super-fine, but not powdery, consistency. For best results add the sugar very slowly after the whites are foamy and white.
Use a pencil to trace the outline of a 10-inch dinner plate on a sheet of parchment paper and then turn the parchment over onto the baking sheet so it doesn’t bake on the pencil side.
You can make the meringue base ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container for several days. But once whipped cream and fruit are added it needs to be eaten within a few hours or the meringue will soften.
Mum’s Fancy Pavlova
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Adapted from “Bigger Bolder Baking: A Fearless Approach to Baking Anytime, Anywhere,” by Gemma Stafford, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ($30).
Sparkling wine is delicious alone, but even better when paired with a delicious dessert. Sterling Vineyards Sparkling Blanc de Blancs ($20) is fresh with fruit-forward flavors, floral notes and a soft, creamy texture that harmonizes with the Pavlova.
• FOR THE MERINGUE
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites on low speed for 2 minutes, or until bubbles start to form.
Increase the speed to medium-high speed and whip until the egg whites start to thicken, roughly 2 to 3 minutes.
With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all incorporated. The egg whites will double in volume and become shiny.
Add the cornstarch and vinegar and mix for 2 minutes more.
Spread the meringue into a 10-inch round on the prepared cookie sheet. Make a dip in the middle (this is where you will spread the cream).
Bake for 1 1/4 hours. Turn off the oven but leave the meringue in the oven to dry out for 3 hours.
• TO ASSEMBLE
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
20 strawberries, sliced
kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
passion fruit, halved
Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. You can do this with a whisk by hand or using an electric mixer.
Spread the whipped cream over the meringue and top with the strawberries, kiwi, and passion fruit pulp.
