Sometimes the classics really are the best.
Pride & Prejudice. Chanel No. 5. Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Roast Chicken. The Beatles. Tootsie Rolls.
White Christmas. Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Macarons.
Ballet flats. Herbes de Provence. Berries and cream.
Classics. Things that never truly go out of style. Flavors that just work.
Friends, meet the Pavlova.
The Pavlova is a dessert that was invented in the 1920’s to honor famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova in New Zealand. The meringue is crispy on the outside and fluffy like a marshmallow on the inside. Traditionally it is topped with cream and fresh fruit – making it a blank canvas ready to be explored.
If you’ve never made one of these classics for yourself, you should add it to your list.
Let’s be real. It’s the gingers that have the most fun.
So it would make sense that a little bit of ginger could spice up this classic. It might seem a little fussy, but it is really pretty simple to make and once you get all the components together, you have an impressive dessert.
- For the meringue base
- 150 grams egg whites (this is about 5 large whites)
- 300 grams (1 1/2 cups) sugar, preferably super fine
- For the coulis
- 2 6-ounce packages fresh raspberries (about 2 cups)
- 3/4 cup [url href=”http://frannycakes.com/recipes/baking-basics-simple-syrup” title=”Baking Basics: Simple Syrup”]Simple Syrup[/url]
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon tapioca starch, arrowroot or cornstarch
- For the whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- To finish it off
- 1 6-ounce package (about 1 cup) fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and if it will help, trace a 9″ circle and then turn it over so the marked side is down – you should still be able to see the line through the paper.
- In a very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I wipe mine out with a wee bit of vinegar or lemon juice to make sure there is no grease or oil residue), add the egg whites.
- Starting on low and slowly raising the speed when bubbles cover the surface, raise the speed to high and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add the sugar slowly – about 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure that you get back to stiff peaks after each addition.
- Dab a small amount of merengue under each corner of the parchment to hold it in place on the sheet.
- Scoop your merengue mixture into the circle and use an offset spatula to create a slight well.
- Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The merengue is done when it lifts away from the parchment easily. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine the raspberries, simple syrup, lemon juice and fresh ginger. Over medium heat, bring the ingredients to a boil and cook until the raspberries soften.
- Sprinkle the starch over 1 tablespoon of water and stir to remove any lumps. Add this to the raspberry mixture and cook the sauce until it starts to thicken (about 3-5 minutes).
- Strain the coulis through a fine-mesh sieve and allow to cool.
- Either by hand, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the cream and tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form.
- Immediately before serving, spread the whipped cream over the top of the merengue.
- Gently pour the coulis over the top.
- Sprinkle with the fresh raspberries and sliced almonds and serve immediately.
