Triple Berry Pavlova

This is a real showstopper, guys. She’s beautiful, and elegant, and delicate, and light as a cloud. A true study in textures, with a crisp, crunchy shell, soft, marshmallow-y center and chewy where the two textures meet.As the story goes, the pavlova was created in Australia to honor the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova while she was touring the country. I’m not sure if she had the chance to enjoy the dessert created and named for her, but I sure do.

I first had one with my aunt and uncle at a fancy restaurant and I truly never got it out of my head. I used to believe I hated meringues, but that was because I’d only ever had the crisp, dry, and crumbly cookies. I never knew the heights meringue could go.Despite looking extraordinarily fancy, this is actually a relatively simple dessert to make. I made two versions: the first with a classic, uncooked French meringue, which is what most recipes for pavlovas use. It was nothing like the dessert I had cemented in my memory from all those years ago. It was relatively dry and crisp throughout, with no marshmallowy center. Thumbs down.

I did a little research and came upon a (per usual) in-depth and well-tested article from Cook’s Illustrated all about pavlovas. They took a completely different approach by using a Swiss meringue, which essentially guarantees a foolproof, perfect pavlova. A Swiss meringue is egg whites and sugar set in a double boiler over simmering water, then cooked until the sugar dissolves and the temperature reaches 140°. But this meringue is different-it’s cooked to 160°, which causes more coagulation of the egg proteins and a softer, smoother texture. The egg whites are then whipped (real good) until white, shiny and they hold stiff peaks. Spread into a disk, bake in a low oven, and allow to cool completely in the oven. Transfer to your serving platter, top with a sh*t-ton of whipped cream and an even bigger sh*t-ton of fresh berries. Really, the topping possibilities are endless but 99.9999% of the time include a lot of whipped cream. It’s basically law.I was so worried about my pavlova cracking, because we’re taught to believe that cracked meringues mean failure. As destiny would have it, I was watching The Great British Baking Show shortly after I made and photographed this. They were, of course, making pavlovas. As the wise Mary Berry said, “Who cares if the pavlova cracks? It adds to the charm.” (or something like that). So here’s my very charming pavlova. Now go make your own!

Triple Berry Pavlova

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• Author: Amanda
• Yield: 8 servings

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Description

A meringue dessert with a crisp, crunch exterior, soft, marshmallow-y interior and chewy texture where the outside and inside meet, then topped with tons of whipped cream and fresh berries-or whatever is in season. This a real showstopping dessert!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

MERINGUE:

• 1-1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 6 ounces egg whites (about 5 to 7 large eggs)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

WHIPPED CREAM:

• 2 cups heavy cream, cold
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING:

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• Fresh mint, for topping

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Instructions

1. To make the meringue: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position.  Preheat the oven to 250°.  Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment and set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (taking care to ensure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl).  Heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160°, whisking gently but constantly.  This should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the egg white-sugar mixture.  Whip on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks and is very smooth and creamy, about 4 minutes.  The egg whites will be very white and shiny.  Scrape down the bowl and add the vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla and whip together for another 10 seconds until combined.
4. Spread the meringue on the parchment-lined baking sheet to form a 10-inch circle.  Use the back of a spoon to make a shallow well in the center (to fill with cream and berries after baking).  Transfer to the oven and bake until the exterior is dry, crisp and a very pale creamy color, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.  Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let cool in the oven for another 1-1/2 hours.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely.  Use a thin, offset spatula to help release the pavlova, then transfer to a cake stand or serving platter.
5. To make the whipped cream: Combine all of the ingredients in the cleaned bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on medium-high speed, until the mixture is thickened and has medium-soft peaks.
6. Top the meringue with the whipped cream and berries in the center of the disk.  Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

Inspiration: Pavlova on cooksillustrated.com

• Category: Desserts