Clouds of heavenly deliciousness.
Imagine an airy dessert cloud, filled with mounds of whipped cream, pools of mango curd, and pockets of juicy strawberries. Your fork crunches through the crispy meringue shell, sinking into the soft marshmallow middle and emerges, covered in a swirl of cream and curd and berries. One bite is crunchy, creamy, tangy, juicy, and sweet, all at once.
If you’ve never eaten pavlova, you really need to get on that.
If you’re not familiar, pavlova is a dessert made from baked meringue, cream, and fruit. Originally from Australia, it’s also very popular in Europe, particularly in Great Britain. But in spite of international baking shows like Great British Bake Off, it’s still fairly uncommon here in the states. Most Americans have never eaten it!
I hope the mouthwatering description above has already convinced you that you NEED to try it, but in case you need extra encouragement, here are five more reasons why you should make a pavlova this summer!
1. It's easy
Despite its impressive appearance, pavlova is actually very simple to make. The meringue only takes a few minutes to whip up, and the other components—fruit, cream, and curd (if you like)—are easily prepped. From there, you only need to assemble and serve.
2. It’s both light and satisfying
Because it’s mostly meringue and whipped cream, pavlova is very light and easy to eat—something that’s appealing on hot summer days. At the same time, voluptuous masses of fruit and cream make it feel both indulgent and special to eat. It feels like you’ve eaten a real dessert, without making you feel weighed down.
3. It celebrates the season
With its riot of vibrant colors and overflowing bounty of different flavors and textures, pavlova echoes the exuberance of summer. And when fruit stalls are filled to overflowing, it’s also a great way to use all that fresh produce! Since it’s endlessly adaptable (see #4 below), feel free to use whatever fruit is in season: strawberries in June, blueberries in July, even apples in September.
4. It’s flexible
With a vanilla meringue as a base, a pavlova is like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with fruity flavors of your choice. You can even play with flavored whipped creams or different curds or custards. Not feeling the fruit? You don’t have to use it! One of my favorite pavlovas combines a chocolate-stripped shell, a cappuccino custard, and whipped cream topped with a dusting of cocoa powder for a fresh take on the classic tiramisu.
5. It’s a showstopper!
They may be simple to make, but pavlovas look gorgeous. Overflowing with creamy goodness and fruit, they really have that wow factor. Their impressive appearance makes them great for parties, whether you serve them as personal pavlovas (like I’ve done below), or as an elegant family-sized centerpiece. However you choose to present them, they never fail to delight and impress!
If you’ve never made pavlova before, give it a chance! I promise you won’t regret it. Light yet satisfying, easy yet impressive, and full of fresh seasonal fruit, it is truly summer on a plate!
Enjoy!
Pavlova with Mango Curd and Strawberries
(Serves 4-5)
For the pavlova:
3 large egg whites (about 90 grams), room temperature*
¾ cup superfine sugar (about 150 grams)**
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla
For the mango curd:
1 large mango, pitted, skinned, and roughly chopped
6 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 1 ½ limes)
4 large yolks
3 tbsp unsalted butter
For the strawberries:
16 ounces strawberries, divided
Sugar and lime juice to taste
For the whipped cream:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
Method
For the pavlova:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, trace five 3 1/2 -inch circles onto the parchment paper, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Turn over the parchment paper so the writing is on the back, but still visible.
Add egg whites to the bowl and whisk at medium-low speed (speed 4 on a 10-speed mixer is fine) until they have reached soft peaks. Add in sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly and allowing the sugar to fully dissolve before adding the next tablespoon.
(This can take quite a while, but be patient! If you add too much sugar too fast, it will not dissolve into the egg whites properly and your meringue will deflate or leach out the sugar in the oven.)
Once all the sugar is dissolved (you can check by rubbing the meringue between your fingertips to ensure it’s smooth and not gritty), continue whisking a few minutes more until the meringue is thick and glossy. Sprinkle over cornstarch and vinegar and whisk 30 seconds more.
Use a few tiny dollops of meringue to glue the corners of the parchment paper to the baking sheet. Using a large spoon, dollop the meringue inside the traced circles on the parchment paper and create a depression in the center of each meringue circle for all the fillings to go inside once its baked. (You can also using a piping bag and pipe this if you like; just make sure you don’t squeeze the meringue too hard inside the bag or you will deflate it.)
Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and put meringues into the oven, using the top or middle rack. Bake for 90-105 minutes or until the meringue is shiny, feels dry to the touch, and lifts easily off the baking sheet. Do not open the oven door to check until at least 60 minutes into the baking time. If you see the meringue beginning to brown in areas, rotate the baking sheet.
When the meringue is dry to the touch, turn off the oven, but leave the meringues inside until the oven is completely cool. Remove the meringues and store in an airtight container in an ambient temperature room.
For the Mango Curd:
Combine mango, ¼ cup sugar, salt, and lime juice in food processor and pulse until combined and smooth. Pour into a small sauce pot and set over medium heat.
Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl until thickened and light yellow. Bring the mango mixture on the stove to a simmer, then remove. Pour half of the mango mixture into the egg yolk mixture in the bowl, whisking constantly. Set the remainder of the mango mixture back on the stove in the pot, then pour the mixture in the egg yolk bowl back into the pot.
Cook the curd on medium heat, whisking constantly, for 6-8 minutes, or until the curd has thickened to a pudding consistency. Remove from the heat and strain through a sieve into a heat-proof bowl. This will take a while, and you may have to use a spatula to push it through the sieve, but it’s the only way to get that silky smooth texture! Stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
Cover and leave to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.
For the Strawberries:
Slice strawberries into quarters and place in a large bowl. Add sugar and lime juice and let set five minutes to macerate.
For the Whipped Cream:
With a hand blender, beat whipping cream until light, then whisk in powdered sugar.
To assemble, top each pavlova with whipped cream and mango curd. Top with strawberries and lime zest. Serve immediately.
*It will be easier to separate the eggs when they’re cold, but make sure that you let them come to room temperature before you use them in the meringue.
**If you do not have superfine sugar, you can make some by pulsing granulated sugar in the food processor. The finer your sugar is, the easier it will dissolve. Do NOT use powdered sugar.
Originally posted June 14, 2020.
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