WEEK 51: YOUR BEST STRAWBERRIES
Pistachio Meringue Stack with Rose Cream
and Strawberries
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY HEENA | SERVES 8
A&M: As Stephanie, Food52’s head recipe tester, said, “It’s like pavlova revved up.” The pistachio-laden meringue disks are both chewy and crisp, and the combination of whipped cream and mascarpone lightly scented with rose water and a dash of balsamic vinegar makes for a brilliant and delicious “glue” to hold the layers of this stack together. Mounds of fresh strawberries, macerated with sugar and a bit more rose water (enough to evoke a summer garden without making them taste soapy), cut through the sweetness of the meringue and the mellowness of the cream. Heena said, “This recipe was originally inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Gooey Chocolate Stack. Summer, and leftover ingredients from a recent tryst with kheer (Indian rice pudding), inspired this version.”
MERINGUE
6 large egg whites (at room temperature; make sure there is no trace of egg yolk)
Pinch of salt
½ cup light brown sugar (not packed; pulsed in a food processor if crystals are large)
1 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup pistachios, finely chopped
BERRIES
2 pounds strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rose water
CREAM
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 cup mascarpone
1 tablespoon rose water
1 tablespoon pistachios, chopped or slivered, for garnish (optional)
- Heat the oven to 250°F.
- Lightly grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Alternatively, line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw an 8-inch circle on each one (you can use a cake pan as a guide to draw the circles).
- In a clean metal or glass bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt till they hold soft peaks. (You can also do this in a mixer, which will make your life a little easier.) Whisk in the sugars, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vinegar and whisk until the mixture looks glossy and holds stiff peaks. Fold in the chopped nuts, gently but thoroughly.
- Divide the meringue mixture equally among the 3 cake pans or the 3 circles drawn on the baking sheets. Smooth the tops with the back of a round spoon. Bake until the tops are crisp and dry, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Switch off the oven and leave the pans to cool in the oven for 1 hour with the door slightly ajar.
- For the berries: While the meringues cool, hull and then halve or quarter the strawberries, depending on their size. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle the sugar and rose water over the berries, toss gently, and let stand for 30 minutes.
- For the cream: Beat the cream and mascarpone with the rose water in a bowl until the mixture just holds stiff peaks.
- To assemble: Invert the cooled meringue disks onto a plate and gently peel off the parchment paper. Invert onto another plate so they are right side up.
- Spread a third of the cream over one meringue disk, followed by a third of the strawberries. Repeat with the remaining meringue layers, cream, and strawberries. Garnish with the slivered pistachios, if you desire. To serve, cut this delicate cake with a long, sharp serrated knife.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Although the dessert must be assembled just before serving, the meringue layers can be made ahead of time; they will keep well wrapped in parchment paper in an airtight container for up to a week.
Heena: “You can locate pistachios and rose water at any Indian or Middle Eastern store; if not, I’m sure the combination of almonds and pure vanilla would be equally delightful. This delicious dessert also happens to be gluten-free.”
She added, “You can also make this as individual meringues or one large meringue like a traditional pavlova.” We actually like that you start out with this beautiful, regal dessert and that it crumbles as you cut into it—the destruction is part of the plea sure.
ABOUT THE COOK
Heena Punwani is an analyst in Waterloo, Canada.
Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “It has to be the Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours. It is one of the few recipes I’ve never felt a need to tinker with. It produces a delectable and addictive cookie, and Dorie’s trick to freeze and roll cookie dough in a zipper-lock bag is genius.”
Her top entertaining tip: “When entertaining, don’t sweat the small stuff. Your friends don’t notice the small imperfections, and even if they do, the real friends don’t care.”
Here’s her blog: Tiffin Tales (www.tiffintales.com).
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
ChezSuzanne: “This is gorgeous! I love the combo of the rose water and balsamic vinegar with the strawberries.”