With just a few ingredients you can create this summertime dessert in no time.
Course Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Cooling time 1 hourhour
Total Time 2 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Calories 437kcal
Ingredients
Pavlova
4egg whitesroom temperature
1cupsugar
1pinchkosher salt
2tspscornstarch
1teaspoonlemon juicecan use vinegar
½teaspoonvanilla extract
Raspberry Compote
400gramsraspberriesfresh or frozen
400gramssugar
2 ½ tspsred wine vinegarcan use lemon juice
Whipped Cream
1cupheavy cream
1tablespoonsugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
Pavlova
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Draw 3.5" circles on a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of your baking sheet. Use a vegetable can as a guide. You can flip your parchment over and see the circles from the underside. This way you won't be putting your meringue right on the lead pencil markings.
Whip the egg whites (be very careful to not get ANY yolk into your egg whites when separating) and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer (with whisk attachment). Beat the egg whites on high speed until they firm up. (1 minute or so)
With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar tablespoon by tablespoon and beat until firm, glossy, peaks form. To make sure the sugar is completely dissolved rub some meringue between your fingers to check for graininess. Beat it a bit more until the texture is smooth.
Once beaten, sift the cornstarch evenly onto the beaten egg whites. Add the lemon juice (or vinegar) and vanilla and carefully fold it all together with a rubber spatula.
Dab a little bit of meringue between the parchment paper and your baking sheet to help stop the paper from moving around when you form the pavlovas.
Plop the meringue into the middle of the circles on the parchment paper. Using a spoon press a well into the centre of each one. Bake for 45 minutes then test the pavlovas for doneness by touching their sides. If they're sticky bake another 15 minutes. Once they're dry and starting to feel firm and not completely wobbly turn off the oven BUT keep the pavlovas in the cooling oven for another hour. Remove them from the oven after an hour and build your pavlovas or store them in an airtight container on the counter for a few days.
To build the pavlova, drizzle with Raspberry compote, top with fresh berries and a large dollop of whipped cream.
Raspberry Compote
Bring all three ingredients to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain the mixture with a fine sieve, pressing it out with a rubber spatula. Rinse the remaining mixture and seeds in the sieve with ¾ cup of very hot water. The rinsing will get every last bit of berry flavour out and thin your compote to the right consistency.
Stir and bring to the boil again, then bottle and keep refrigerated for several days or indefinitely in the freezer.
Whipped Cream
Whip heavy cream until it shows signs of thickening then add sugar and vanilla.
Continue whipping until soft, pillowy peaks form. Don't over whip or you'll end up with butter.
Notes
Both your oven and the type of baking sheet you use will alter the length of time the pavlovas take to cook. So your cooking time may very. Just keep checking them after 45 minutes. If you've cooked them until they're solid enough to easily lift off of the baking sheet, you've cooked them a bit too much and they'll be crispy all the way through once they're cooled.