Raspberry Pavlova Recipes

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Draw a 9-inch-diameter circle on the paper with a pencil, tracing a round cake tin that size.
• Flip the paper over so your meringue doesn't touch the pencil marks - you'll still be able to see the circle.
• Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites with a mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
• Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.
• Shape the meringue: Secure the parchment to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue under each corner. Mound the meringue onto the parchment within the circle, smoothing the sides and the top with a spatula.
• Bake the meringue: Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F and cook for one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top, but when you prod the center you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers.
• Let it cool: Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the chocolate meringue disk cool completely in the oven. When you'reready to serve, invert onto a big flatbottomed plate and peel off the parchment.
• Decorate the Pavlova: Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter the raspberries on top. Coarsely grate the chocolate haphazardly over the top so that you get curls of chocolate rather than rubble, as you don't want the raspberries' luscious color and form to be obscured. You want the Pavlova to look like a frosted cake.

RASPBERRY PAVLOVA WITH PEACHES AND CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle with a 9-inch diameter, then flip paper upside-down. You'll still be able to see the outline.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend the raspberries until you get a fine powder speckled with seeds. (The seeds won't break down so don't even try.) You should have about 1/3 cup. Set aside.
• Using the bowl from an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Set the mixing bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove bowl from heat, transfer bowl back to the mixer, and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the raspberry powder until combined but still very streaky.
• Spoon mixture onto prepared parchment paper circle. Lightly drag a spatula along the outer edges of the mixture from bottom to top, to help build up the edges so there is a deep well in the center of the pavlova. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until dry and firm to the touch. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• A half-hour before serving, prepare the topping: Stir together 1/2 cup water, sugar, vanilla bean and lemon zest in a small pot over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and syrup is thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Put peaches in a bowl, stir in syrup and let cool.
• Whisk together cream, sour cream, confectioners' sugar and salt until firm peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Fill cooled pavlova with whipped cream; use a slotted spoon to top with peach mixture and raspberries, then drizzle with some of the syrup from bottom of the peach bowl. Serve at once.

PAVLOVA WITH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• Macerate the fruit: Combine the brown sugar, raspberry jam, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Add the raspberries and gentle toss to combine all of the flavors. Cover and refrigerate.
• Get the oven ready for the meringue: Remove all racks from the oven except for the one closest to the top. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with nonstick spray for good measure.
• Make the meringue mixture: Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until the egg whites hold their shape and the whisk leaves a trace in the eggs whites, 2 to 5 minutes. Thoroughly mix the granulated sugar with the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the sugar mixture, tablespoon by tablespoon, waiting until each spoonful is incorporated before adding more. Continue to whisk until the meringue is firm and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon the meringue mixture into a pastry bag or the corner of a resealable plastic bag and cut 1/2 inch off one corner. Pipe the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet into a 6-inch round.
• Bake the meringue: Bake, undisturbed, for about 25 minutes. Rotate the tray and continue to bake until the exterior is firm and crusty when touched (ever so gently!), about 5 minutes more. While the center should still be moist and somewhat goopy, the exterior should be lightly golden brown on the exterior. Cool for about 10 minutes.
• Make the cream and prepare the fruit: Whisk the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until somewhat stiff, about 3 minutes. Spoon the fruit on the bottom of a serving platter and gently place the meringue on top. Serve with whipped cream on the side.