FRESH FRUIT PAVLOVA
Fresh Fruit Pavlova, the most iconic Australian dessert is my go-to summertime confection. It was named after Anna Pavlova, the Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, and was reportedly created by an Australian Chef to resemble the lightness of the ballerina herself. And light it is, as the meringue is made with egg whites and only one cup of sugar. Add fresh fruit and you have a fairly healthy dessert.
I made this Fresh Fruit Pavlova as my contribution to our monthly Comfort Food Dinner, a potluck get-together with 8 close friends. This month was a progressive dinner, with cocktails and delicious appetizers at our friend Dave’s home…
Mini Popovers & Filo Wrapped Asparagus
followed by the main course + dessert at Ruth & Mark’s. It was a beautiful & very delicious, comforting affair. And actually, it is the one time our group throws healthy cooking to the wind in favor of decadent “Comfort Food” like this.
Lobster Mac & Cheese
Ruth has been kind enough to share with me her tried & true original recipe for Lobster Mac & Cheese which I promise to share with you soon. In the meantime let me show you how to make my recipe for Fresh Fruit Pavlova.
Preheat your oven to 200° F. Then line a large, 16″ round baking pan with parchment paper. A pizza pan works great for this recipe. My pan actually came with my convection oven.
Then separate 5 eggs. Refrigerate or freeze the yolks for use in another dish like My Spanish Grandmother’s Flan Recipe perhaps.
Then place the egg whites in the bowl of your standing mixer. Beat the egg whites until they increase 3 to 4 times in volume.
Combine 1 teaspoon Cornstarch with 1 cup of granulated sugar. Gradually add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the egg whites while whipping until stiff peaks form. Finally, quickly mix in 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, turn the meringue out onto your prepared baking pan.
Carefully spread it into a large circle about 15 inches in diameter.
Flatten the center slightly while at the same time building up the outer edges. The sides should be a little higher than the center.
Place in your preheated oven and bake low & slow for about 2 hours or until the meringue is dry and no longer sticky and can be easily lifted from the parchment paper. Set the pan aside to cool while you prepare the fruit filling.
For your Fresh Fruit Pavlova you can use any combination of fruit that suits your fancy. I consider color when selecting my fruit and in this case used sliced strawberries, 2 types of sliced Kiwi and blueberries. At other times I’ve been known to use slices of fresh peaches, apricots & mangos as well as raspberries & blackberries. Select 3 to 4 different fruits, about 1 lb. of each of kiwi, strawberries and stone fruit and about 8 ounces of berries. Then wash and cut the strawberries, peel the kiwi or stone fruit, then cut into thin slices. Leave the blueberries, blackberries or raspberries whole.
There are actually a number of acceptable fillings one may use when making Pavlova. Some folks fill their Pavlova with sweetened whipped cream, lemon curd, melted chocolate or custard. I prefer to use a 14 ounce container of ready-made strawberry glaze which I purchase in the produce section of my grocery store near the berries. The glaze comes in a variety of flavors so you can choose your favorite.
Spread the glaze into the cooled cavity of the meringue, leaving the raised crust area unglazed.
Then top it artistically with the fruit.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. By the way, this recipe is best consumed on the day it’s prepared, otherwise the meringue will become soggy. And because this dessert is light and not heavy or filling, I serve each person a generous slice, cutting my Fresh Fruit Pavlova just like I would a pizza, into 8 slices. Serve it to your very happy guests, who I guarantee will eat every last bite. Then they will ask you for the recipe.
Here’s the handy-dandy printable recipe you can give them…
- 5 Egg Whites
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon White Vinegar
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Lb. Sliced Strawberries
- 1 Lb. Peeled & Sliced Kiwi
- 8 Ounces Blueberries
- 14 Ounces Prepared Strawberry Glaze
- Preheat oven to 200° F.
- Line a large, 16" round baking pan with parchment paper.
- Separate 5 eggs. Refrigerate or freeze the yolks for use in another dish.
- Beat the egg whites until they increase 3 to 4 times in volume.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and granulated sugar.
- Gradually add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the egg whites while whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Quickly mix in the vinegar and vanilla extract.
- Using a rubber spatula, turn the meringue out onto your prepared baking pan.
- Carefully spread it into a large circle about 15 inches in diameter.
- Flatten the center slightly while at the same time building up the outer edges. The sides should be a little higher than the center.
- Place in preheated oven and bake low & slow for about 2 hours or until the meringue is dry and no longer sticky and can be easily lifted from the parchment paper.
- Set the pan aside to cool while you prepare the fruit filling.
- Spread the glaze into the cooled cavity of the meringue.
- Top the meringue artistically with the fruit.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
So there you have it: FRESH FRUIT PAVLOVA
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