This Berry Pavlova will be the star of the dessert table at any gathering. It is especially great in the spring. The meringue is crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Topped with rich whipped cream and juicy berries. Beautiful and absolutely delicious!
What you need
Egg whites
Salt
Fine sugar
Cornstarch
White wine vinegar
Vanilla extract
Almond extract
Heavy cream
Powdered sugar
Mixed berries
How to make a Berry Pavlova
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a pencil, draw an 8 inch circle on a large piece of parchment paper. Use a pie or cake pan. Turn the parchment over, pencil side down and place it on a baking sheet.
Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on high until there are glossy peaks. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar a couple tablespoons at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy peaks form.
Remove the mixing bowl and sprinkle the top with the cornstarch, vinegar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Gently fold into the egg mixture. Mound the meringue onto the parchment paper in the middle of your circle. Spread evenly to the sides of the circle forming a disc.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and lower the heat to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then turn off the oven and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven for 3 hours. Don’t open the oven door while the meringue is baking or cooling. The meringue needs to dry out completely. If air is allowed inside the oven or if the meringue is taken out early, it could become sticky.
A note about baking and serving meringue. You want to bake it, leave it to dry completely, then finish it just before serving. Once baked, meringue needs to stay in the oven for 3 hours. You can leave it in the oven overnight if you choose, and finish it in the morning. Or make it in the morning and finish it late in the afternoon, just before presentation. You can make the whipped cream a couple of hours before serving and keep it ready in the refrigerator.
Once the meringue has cooled completely, carefully peel the parchment off the bottom and place it on a serving plate.
To make the whipped cream, put the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream on top of the meringue, leaving an inch or two of meringue showing.
Top the whipped cream with mixed berries and dust with powdered sugar.
Berry Pavlova
This Berry Pavlova will be the star of the dessert table at any gathering. It is especially great in the spring. The meringue is crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. Topped with rich whipped cream and juicy berries. Beautiful and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup fine sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 2 cups mixed berries
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a pencil, draw an 8 inch circle on a large piece of parchment paper. Use a pie or cake pan. Turn the parchment over, pencil side down and place it on a baking sheet.
- Step 2 Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on high until there are glossy peaks. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar a couple tablespoons at a time. Continue beating until stiff and glossy peaks form.
- Step 3 Remove the mixing bowl and sprinkle the top with the cornstarch, vinegar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Gently fold into the egg mixture. Mound the meringue onto the parchment paper in the middle of your circle. Spread evenly to the sides of the circle forming a disc.
- Step 4 Place the baking sheet in the oven and lower the heat to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then turn off the oven and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven for 3 hours. Don’t open the oven door while the meringue is baking or cooling.
- Step 5 Once the meringue has cooled completely, carefully peel the parchment off the bottom and place it on a serving plate.
- Step 6 To make the whipped cream, put the heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Step 7 Spread the whipped cream on top of the meringue, leaving an inch or two of meringue showing.
- Step 8 Top the whipped cream with mixed berries and dust with powdered sugar.
