(Baked Meringue)
I’m trying to devote some time each weekend to baking. Dan moved his schedule around and is stopping by the swim schools on Sundays instead of Saturdays, so Sunday mornings are now about baking with the boys. PERFECT, because we usually do Family Dinner with my Mom’s side of the family.
Bowen was feeling punky all Saturday and went down early for a nap Sunday, so it was time for Sawyer and I to get our bake on. He wasn’t super interested in being an active participant since I wouldn’t let him crack the eggs so he just hung in the kitchen while I got cooking.
I had a generous glass of Prosecco, and I watch Sci-Fi’s mini-series ‘Tin Man’ because honestly who doesn't love all things Wizard of Oz.
I decided to make one of my FAVORITE desserts, Pavlova, or a baked meringue. Its deceptively easy to put together, you don’t have to stress about the oven too much because it takes a while to dry out and bake, and it works perfectly for berry heavy desserts.
I wanted to make this a little seasonal so I toasted and chopped ½ a cup of walnuts to add into the meringue and topped it with homemade lemon curd (a post for another day), whipped cream, blueberries and blackberries.
Lets get into a few key things when making a Pavlova:
Pavlova is basically Egg Whites and Sugar beaten to stiff peaks and then baked at a very low heat for a long time allowing the egg whites to dry out into Marshmellow-y Pillow-y goodness.
When cracking the eggs make sure there are NO YOLKS in your egg whites, this is why Sawyer couldn’t help. It’s best to have your egg whites at room temp but it will still work with eggs fresh out of the fridge (I used cold egg whites because I didn’t know I was going to make a Pavlova when I woke up in the morning).
Adding acid to the egg whites once they start to whip and get froathy will help stabilize the eggs and keep them from deflating. You can add ½ tsp of cream of tartar, or 1 tsp of white or apple cider vinegar, but I like to use 1 tsp of lemon juice, I always have lemons hanging around.
Add your sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, it’s a pain, I know, but trust me if you add it too fast your eggs will deflate and it’s a total waste.
Okay lets FALL in Pav-LOVE-a!
For the Pavlova
4 Egg Whites
1 Cup of Sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract (for flavor)
½ cup of toasted nuts of choice -optional (I used walnuts)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, once you are about to put the meringue in the oven turn it down to 200 degrees.
Beat egg whites until frothy on medium speed until frothy, about 3 minutes then add the lemon juice.
Once soft peaks start to form add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes more and add in the vanilla extract and mix. You should be able to hold the bowl upside down and the meringue should not move.
If adding nuts, GENTLY fold In the nuts into the mixture, being careful not to knock any air out of the meringue.
Spread or pipe the meringue onto a baking sheet with parchment paper into the desired shape, I spread a circle, with a rubber spatula, and then piped little peaks on the edges to make it look fancy.
TURN YOUR OVEN DOWN TO 200 degrees.
Pop the Meringue in the oven and bake for 90-105 minutes. The meringue should be crisp and firm.
Turn the oven off and let the Pavlova cool in the oven. These keeps it from cracking too much.
Serve with your favorite berry sauce, lemon curd, whipped cream or berries/fruit. Toppings are all up to your imagination!
I absolutely LOVE Pavlova and really any fruity dessert. So try it and enjoy!