Crispy Meringue Pavlova with Fresh Red Berries and Whipped Cream

A pavlova is basically a meringue crown filled with whipped cream and fruit, so really, do you need any excuse to make New Zealand’s official dessert!!!! 🙂

A pavlova is one of those desserts that sounds fancy but is actually quite simple to make, and this is a delicious, straightforward recipe that doesn’t ask too much of you. It is, however, a pretty great way to use up leftover egg whites, which would otherwise just sit in the fridge looking sad and forgotten. Beyond that, a pavlova is wonderfully versatile, you can fill it with just about any fruit you like! The key is to go with whatever is in season, or whatever you happen to love most.

Now, as you can probably see from the photos, I may have gotten a little too ambitious and tried to make one big crown instead of splitting the meringue into two or more smaller crowns. After adding all the weight of the whipped cream and the fruit, it didn’t quite hold up and cracked a bit. But, honestly? Still absolutely delicious. Hahaha. A broken pavlova is still a pavlova, and nobody’s complaining once they’ve had a bite! Let’s check the recipe!

Crispy Meringue Pavlova with Fresh Red Berries and Whipped Cream

Servings: 8
Time: 1hr 40mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Hehe, sometimes ambitious projects sometime crack under pressure, and that's fine! Gotta love a nice crispy pavlova, with the creamy fruits to cut the sweetness, its a yummy dessert to try at home!

Ingredients

Egg Whites – 8 (+/- 300ml)
Sugar – 440g
Cornstarch – 4 teaspoons
Vinegar – 4 teaspoons
Cream – 200ml
Sugar – 2 tablespoons
Raspberries – 125g
Blueberries – 125g
Strawberries – 500g

Directions

Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºF).
In a bowl, start by whisking the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then, continue whisking, adding the sugar until a firm, stiff meringue forms.

Now add the cornstarch and vinegar and whisk until well combined.

Finally, spread the meringue onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Note that it’s probably best to divide the meringue into at least two parts. Then, make a hole in the center of each meringue to create a ring or cup to hold the filling.
Bake in the oven, lower the temperature to 120ºC (250ºF) and bake for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
While it’s baking, you can make the whipped cream by whisking very cold heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar until a smooth and firm cream forms. Store in the refrigerator.
Remove the meringue from the oven and let it cool completely. While it cools, wash and dry the fruit and cut the stems.
Now, spread the whipped cream over the meringue, followed by the fruit on top, and it’s ready to serve! 🙂 Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: Divide the meringue. As mentioned above, instead of making one large pavlova, divide the meringue into two smaller crowns before baking. The weight of the whipped cream and fruit can cause a single large one to crack or collapse. Not the end of the world (still delicious!), but two smaller ones hold up much better.

Keep everything cold. Make sure your egg whites are at room temperature for whisking, but your cream should be very cold straight from the fridge. Cold cream whips up much faster and holds its shape much better. If you want a denser version, add a large spoon of mascarpone cheese!

Don’t open the oven. Once the meringue is in, resist the urge to open the oven door during baking. Sudden changes in temperature are the main cause of cracking on a baked meringue.

Let it cool in the oven. If you have the time, once baking is done, turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside with the door slightly ajar to cool slowly. This helps prevent cracks from the temperature shock.

Adjust the sweetness. If your fruit is very sweet, you can cut back on or even skip the sugar in the whipped cream entirely. The contrast between a lightly sweetened cream and tangy fruit is what makes this dessert really shine.

Use what’s in season. Raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are a classic combination, but a pavlova is a very forgiving and versatile dessert. Passion fruit, mango, kiwi, blackberries, cherries, any fruit you love or that happens to be in season will work beautifully here.

Don’t fill it too early. Assemble the pavlova just before serving. If the whipped cream sits on the meringue for too long, it will start to soften it.

This recipe for Crispy Meringue Pavlova with Fresh Red Berries and Whipped Cream was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Pavlova de Frutos Vermelhos foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.