The Pavlova is a meringue dessert that is named after the famous ballerina Anna Pavlova. Though no one is clear exactly where this happened, the dessert was created in her honor during a tour of either Australia or New Zealand. A Pavlova is supposed to be crispy on the outside, yet light and fluffy inside.
The secret to keeping the meringue fluffy on the inside is the white vinegar.
The first time I cooked these, I made big tart-sized meringues. The second time, I made them more the size of a cookie, which made them bite-sized and more fun to serve.)
You can make chocolate meringues and lemon meringues... be adventurous with your toppings. Perhaps a lemon meringue pavlova mixing fresh lemon curd into your whipped cream? Or lemon meringue pie filling on top of the meringue for an inverted pie!
Pavlovas
4 large eggs (at room temp for 30 mins before whipping)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar (an important stabilizer)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon corn starch (another stabilizer)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups very cold heavy cream for whipping
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar (optional, depending on your sweet tooth)
Fresh berries, kiwis or a mix of all
Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a large cold bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until the whites hold, soft peaks. Add the sugar little by little, beating at low speed, then at high until the meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks (about 2 minutes). Then beat in the vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla.
With 2 spoons, drop a big dollop of meringue on the parchment and make an indent with the back of the spoon to form a little cave for the cream and berries. (Note: The first time I did these, I made big tart sized meringues. The second time, they were more cookie sized, which made them bite sized and more fun to serve.)
Bake about one hour, until the meringues are crisp on the outside but soft in the middle.
Peel the parchment back from the meringues and cool on a rack for 20 minutes or so. (Meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for about a day.)
Whip your heavy cream with a bit of confectioners sugar until it holds a stiff peak. Serve meringues topped with a dollop of whipped cream and your berries.
