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…

Fresh Berry Pavlova

Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Servings: 12

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

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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

1. Preheat oven 350℉.

Make Pavlova

1. Add egg whites, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla to a grease-free mixing bowl. 

2. Beat on high until eggs are fluffy and doubled in volume. 

3. Add boiling water all at once. 

4. Continue to beat on high until stiff glossy peaks are formed.

5. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Smooth out into a 9x13 inch oval. 

6. Place in oven for 10 minutes. 

7. Leave oven closed. Reduce oven temperature to 200℉, continue to bake for 40 minutes. 

8. Without opening the door, turn oven off and let the pavlova sit in the oven for 1 hour before removing. 

Toppings

1. Whip one small carton of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. 

2. Spread over the top of the pavlova. 

3. Add fresh berries and serve immediately. 

Recipe 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. 

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