Rose's Baking Basics

Pavlova

Serves 8 to 10

Oven Temperature: 225°F/105°C

Baking Time: 1 hour plus 20 minutes, oven off 30 minutes, then oven ajar 30 minutes

Baking Equipment: One pizza pan or cookie sheet topped with a 12 inch round of parchment

This dreamy pastry is actually very easy to make. The finished meringue has the finest smooth, crisp outer shell with a soft marshmallowy interior. The combination of crunchy sweet meringue, billowy creamy slightly tangy whipped cream, and fresh fruit is truly heavenly. For an even tangier whipped cream filling, try the Lemon Curd or Pink Pomegranate Whipped Cream. The Pavlova is the national dessert of Australia and New Zealand.

Meringue

4 large egg whites	120 grams	½ cup (118 ml)
cream of tartar	.	½ teaspoon
superfine sugar	240 grams	1 cup plus 3 tablespoons

Preheat the Oven

▪ Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 225ºF/105ºC.

Mise en Place

▪ Into the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh or measure the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar and whisk them together until blended. Cover and allow it to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours.

▪ Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment and invert it onto the pan. With masking tape, secure the edges of the parchment to the pan in three or four places.

Make the Meringue

1. Attach the whisk beater, and starting on low speed and gradually raising the speed to high, beat the egg white mixture for 12 minutes. The meringue will be very thick and glossy and form curved peaks when the whisk is raised.

2. With a large spoon, scoop the meringue onto the center of the parchment and use the back of the spoon to spread the meringue within the 9 inch circle. Form a deep depression in the middle to create a nest with a border that is about 1 inch wide by 1¼ to 1½ inches high. Remove the tape.

Bake the Meringue

3. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn off the oven, and let the meringue site for 30 minutes. Then prop open the door, and let the meringue sit for 30 minutes longer. Remove it to a wire rack to cool.

Unmold the Meringue

4. When the meringue is completely cool, lift it off the parchment and onto a serving plate or an airtight container. It will have expanded to 9½ inches by 1¾ to 2 inches high.

Store Airtight: room temperature in low humidity, 5 days; frozen, 3 months.

Make the Topping

▪ Shortly before serving, prepare the topping.

Pavlova Topping

heavy cream	232 grams	1 cup (237 ml)
fresh berries or other fruit	about 340 grams	3 cups
full-fat sour cream	60 grams	¼ cup
pure vanilla extract	.	1 teaspoon (5 ml)

1. At least 15 minutes before whipping, into a medium metal bowl, pour the cream. Cover and refrigerate with the handheld mixer beaters alongside.

2. Prepare the berries and/or fruit: Rinse the berries and dry them on paper towels. If using large berries, cut them in halves or quarters. Peaches should be pitted, sliced, and then cut into chunks.

3. Using a handheld mixer, whip the cream, starting on low speed and gradually raising the speed to medium high as it thickens, until softly whipped. Add the sour cream and vanilla and whip just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.

4. With a large spatula, scrape and spread the whipped cream into the Pavlova.

5. Arrange the berries or fruit decoratively on top.

Baking Pearls

Meringues work best in low humidity.

The mixer bowl and whisk must be free of any grease to enable the whites to beat to stiff peaks.

Many recipes call for vinegar and even cornstarch to maintain the desired soft interior and make the meringue stable, but using the proper amount of cream of tartar yields the best texture as well as flavor.

Do not use convection for baking the Pavlova, as it may cause cracking.

A higher temperature is required for this larger, thicker meringue than that used for flat or smaller meringues; this prevents bubbling at the base.

Make This Recipe Your Own

Drizzle the baked meringue with melted chocolate before adding the whipped cream.

Replace the sour cream with 66 grams/¼ cup lemon curd or 78 grams/¼ cup jam.

Variation

Eight Mini Pavlovas

These little Pavlovas, 4 inches by ⅞ inch high, can be filled with the same ingredients as the large Pavlova, but are also terrific filled with ice cream and frozen until shortly before serving, then topped with the topping of your choice, such as fresh berries or other fruit, or Ganache Drizzle Glaze.

To achieve the same texture and appearance for these small Pavlovas, position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and set the oven at 200°F/90°C. If baked at a higher temperature they will rise to 1 inch in height and form little bubbles around the base.

Line two 15 by 12 inch cookie sheets with parchment. Draw four 4 inch circles on each parchment sheet and invert them onto the cookie sheets. With masking tape, secure the edges of the parchment to the cookie sheets in two or three places.

With a tablespoon, spread the meringue within the 4 inch circles. With the back of the spoon, form a 2 inch hollow in the middle of each to create a 1 inch border that is about ¾ inch high. Remove the tape.

Bake for 1 hour and 35 to 45 minutes without opening the oven door until about 10 minutes before the end of baking, at which point it’s fine to check the interior of one of the Pavlovas. With the tip of a small sharp knife, dig out a little of the meringue from the inside border. It should be a little soft and sticky. If not planning to serve the same day, remove the meringues when softer inside, as they will dry faster than the large meringue. Remove the Pavlovas from the oven and set the cookie sheets on wire racks to cool to room temperature.

Making Pavlova