Summer Dessert: Pavlova

Summer is here!!!

Today was such a beautiful day. I hope that you were able to enjoy your day outdoor and enjoy this gorgeous weather. I will admit that having a pool does help in staying outdoors in 90 something weather.

Anyway, in honor of the first day of summer, I wanted to share a dessert recipe that is so beautiful and colorful, it really represents summer in my eyes.

This dessert has been a favorite of mine for years. I wanted to post this recipe last week since I made this cake for my father-in-law, but have been so busy that I did not find the time.

Pavlova, according to Wikipedia is ” a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside. The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source. The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes”.

I love this dessert for many reasons, it is very easy to make, require very few ingredients, is very fluffy and beautiful to look at, and delicious. Contrary to one’s thinking, it is actually very light and not stuffy. A winner in my book:-)

Ingredients for a cake for 8-10 persons:

3/4 cup or about 5 large egg whites
1 pinch of salt
a drop of lemon juice
2 cups of powdered sugar (and 2 tbsp for later)
5 tsp of corn starch
1 tbsp of orange blossom extract or 1 tsp of vanilla extract if you cannot find.

For the filling:

2 cups of cream chilled
1 tbsp of honey
1/4 cup of mascarpone ( optional) at room temperature
3 cups of mixed berries

Turn the oven to 245. Place a large silpat on a large perforated sheet. If you do not have a silpat, place some parchment paper on a cookie sheet, sprinkle some corn flour and set aside.
Place the egg whites in a kitchen mixer, add the pinch of sale, a drop of lemon juice and start beating the egg whites.
When the egg whites are starting to get really fluffy like a meringue, start adding the sugar little by little while still mixing until all has been added. It should take about 10 minutes.
Mix the 2 tbsp of sugar and the cornstarch together, and mix it in the meringue. The meringue should be fluffy and glossy.
Scoop the meringue onto the silpat, or parchment paper and make a circle of about 9 inches. With a spoon make a small well in the middle where the cream will go.
Place the meringue into the oven, cook it 60 minutes ( if baked on the perforated sheet) and 75 minutes if on a regular cookie sheet. Do not open the door of the oven for the first 45 minutes.
Once the pavlova has cooked, leave it in the oven, open the oven door and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Cool completely before n the cake.
While the pavlova is cooking, slice the fruits and mix them up.
The prepare the cream, place the cream in a kitchen mixer and beat until you have soft peaks. Add the honey, the mascarpone and continue beating until you have a thick whipping cream.
Scoop the cream onto the meringue.
Add the sliced fruit, drizzle more honey. Et voila !!! Simple as 1, 2, 3.