Fresh Berry Pavlova Is A Great Spring Dessert

The recent Spring weather we’ve been having is making me want to cook with colorful berries. No more orange, pumpkin, holiday or wintry fare for a while! Bring on the SPRING!

This Berry Pavlova is perfect for my Spring mood! It’s fresh, light, and colorful – it’s sure to impress at any get together.

The keyword here is ‘impress‘. I’ll never forget the first time I encountered pavlova done in this style. A sophisticated friend was going on about how she was going to make a pavlova for a last minute barbecue we were throwing together. All I really knew at that point was that a pavlova was a meringue based dessert named after a Russian ballerina – Anna Pavlova. I’d seen them for sale in high end bakeries. I had visions of trying to pipe meringue into symmetrical little rounds – which would then be dressed with perfectly coiffed and positioned blemish-free berries. FOR A BBQ? I thought my friend had revealed a stuffy side of her personality I wasn’t sure I was ready for.  Thankfully, my concerns were unfounded.

The pavlova we ended up making – and I’ve made many times since – is as easy, approachable, and rustic as it is impressive. 

Rustic Pavlova – It is easy to make, delicious and impressive on the table.

Anytime you incorporate meringue into a recipe it makes you feels a bit like a culinary superhero. There is something magical to the seemingly endless volume you can get from whipping egg whites. It is a bit like blowing bubbles as a kid. Like bubbles, meringue can also be fickle and fragile. This recipe addresses that problem with two secret weapons that put science in your favor – corn starch and vinegar. These two ingredients stabilize the meringue, making it easier to work with.

[Nerd Alert: The vinegar helps to keep the egg whites stable – protecting against collapse of your fluffy pile. The corn starch keeps it from sweating moisture when it cooks – helping to avoid a blemished surface and chewy texture.]

Yes, Pavlova is the perfect dessert to impress regardless of the occasion!

This Berry Pavlova is light, flavorful, and easy to prepare – not to mention beautiful on your table.  Impressive, right?

What are you craving these days? Let us know and we can help you by providing a recipe! Just leave us a comment below…

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Fresh Berry Pavlova

Pavlova is a really easy but impressive dessert. It is light and fresh so it's great for summer. 

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 12

Ingredients

Pavlova

• 6 egg whites
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 ½ tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup boiling water

Toppings

• 1 pint whipped cream
• 4 cups fresh berries

Instructions

• Preheat oven 350℉.

Make Pavlova

• Add egg whites, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla to a grease-free mixing bowl. 
• Beat on high until eggs are fluffy and doubled in volume. 
• Add boiling water all at once. 
• Continue to beat on high until stiff glossy peaks are formed.
• Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth out into a 9x13 inch oval. 
• Place in oven for 10 minutes. 
• Leave oven closed. Reduce oven temperature to 200℉, continue to bake for 40 minutes. 
• Without opening the door, turn oven off and let the pavlova sit in the oven for 1 hour before removing. 

Toppings

• Whip one small carton of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. 
• Spread over the top of the pavlova. 
• Add fresh berries and serve immediately. 

Notes

You can slice and add a few tablespoons of sugar to the strawberries to encourage the juice to extract from the berries. 

Right before serving toss in raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.