Pavlova

I have wanted to make a pavlova for the LONGEST time. My friend from Australia made one once - using a hand held whisk - not anything electric! - and I was so impressed. It was delicious, beautiful, and I marveled at her arm strength. I knew I'd be using my stand mixer...

The pavlova is not at all difficult, but it does require some patience in the mixing (er, watching the mixer do its work!) and in the baking and resting. But it will be worth it.

The trickiest part is just getting the mixture into a nice circle - but you can make a little pattern on your parchment paper which will be your guide.

Light, airy, just the perfect amount of sweetness - this is dessert heaven. Covered in sweet cream and an abundance of summery berries (or other fruits in season!), this is a dessert that is sure to impress everyone who tries it.

Just a note of caution: pavlova is probably not a good choice for a picnic, or anytime you need a make ahead dessert. You will want to assemble this just shortly before you serve it, otherwise the whipped cream will make the meringue a soggy mess if it sits there too long. You can prepare the berries ahead, and whip the cream ahead of time, so while everyone is chatting out on the deck after dinner, you just sneak in to the kitchen and finish this up.

You will be the star of dessert time, that's for sure. The pavlova is named after a Russian ballerina who toured Australia and New Zealand in the 1920's. And it's so fantastic that it'll likely have you dancing on your toes.

You can find more great ideas at Inspire Me, Inspire Me 2, Fabulous, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul.

Pavlova

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
1 pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 pint strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries

Preheat the oven to 300.

Use a plate or cake pan to draw a circle between 9 and 9 inches on a sheet of parchment paper. Place the paper drawn side down on a baking sheet and set aside.

Separate the four egg whites into a small bowl. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt to a very clean bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium-low.

Once the egg whites are frothy, begin sprinkling in the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Don't dump the sugar in all at once; use patience and add it slowly!

Sprinkle the cornstarch onto the meringue and fold in using a rubber scraper. Mix on high speed until stiff peaks form, stopping to scrape the bowl occasionally.

Transfer the meringue to the prepared "ring" on your baking sheet and use a spatula to shape it into a disk with a slight depression on top. You can use a small spatula to create designs or leave as is.

Place your meringue into the oven then immediately reduce the temperature to 250 and bake for 60-75 minutes. The meringue will turn ever so slightly cream in color and feel dry and hard, the inside will remain soft however.

When the meringue is done, turn the oven off and leave the door closed for an hour. You can then crack the door open for an hour. Let the meringue come to room temperature slowly. If you'd like, you can leave it in the oven overnight (especially if it's humid where you live).

For the topping, add the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on high until softy peaks form.

Place the meringue onto a serving dish then top with whipped cream and cut fruit. Serves 8.