i've been having fun with whipped egg whites this week
and now
i present you with my final meringue entry
for the time being
pavlova
it is THE BEST
dinner party dessert
because all components can be prepared in advance
and composed at the final moment
presented
to oohs and ahhs
that make you feel like
the finest
french pastry chef
but
for the record
we have the aussies to thank
for this crunchy-creamy-pillowy confection
not the french
so maybe you might tell your friends
to tuck in
rather than
bon appetite
1 recipe meringue piped into individual nests
1 recipe pastry cream or vanilla pudding
1 recipe fresh whipped cream
fruit of choice
For the Cherry Pavlova
pastry cream
6 large egg yolks
5 Tbs cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk ( i used 2%)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbs unsalted butter
fruit
2 cups pitted fresh cherries
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1 large lime
1 Tbs cherry herring liqueur (optional)
for pastry cream: Whisk the egg yolks and the cornstarch in a bowl. set aside. In a saucepan, simmer milk, sugar and salt. Once it is simmering, temper the eggs with the hot milk. Return to the saucepan and whisk continuously until the custard begins to thicken. Once you see large bubbles coming up through the middle of the pot, remove from heat. Pour into a clean bowl (use a sieve if you feel you have overcooked), and stir in butter and vanilla. Place clingfilm over top and refrigerate until ready to use.
for the fruit: Place cherries, sugar, lime and liqueur into a small saucepot. Place over low heat and allow to simmer until a nice syrup forms and cherries are softened. Allow to cool until ready to use.
Whip cream with a bit of confectioner's sugar and vanilla to taste.
When ready to put together, take a bit of the whipped cream and whisk it into the custard to soften it up a bit, it will give it a nice creamy consistency.This is also a great filling for cream puffs.
Fill the meringue nest with the custard. Top with the fruit and then place a generous dollop of cream on top.
cherry pavlova
kiwi pavlova
made with a dessert sauce of kiwi, pineapple juice and some sugar
bittersweet chocolate pavlova
there is a bit of chocolate ganache tucked under the custard
and a bit more chocolate shaved on top