Stella’s Strawberry Pavlova

By Stella Wahanik, Reporter

A pavlova is a meringue based dessert topped with whipped cream and an assortment of fruits. This desert is perfect for spring because of the versatile topping options with all of the fruits and berries that are coming into season because of the warm weather. It’s also incredibly easy to make, which makes it a good recipe for beginner bakers.

Ingredients

For the meringue base:

4 egg whites
a pinch of salt
1 ¼ cup of superfine sugar
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of white-wine vinegar
a splash of vanilla extract

For the topping, I used strawberries but you can use any fruit or berry of your choice:

One pound of fresh strawberries, remove the stem and cut into bite sized pieces
½ tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (optional)
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 cups of heavy cream

Step one: The meringue

Preheat the oven to 300℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whip up the egg whites and salt. Continue to do so until stiff peaks start to form, then gradually start to add in the sugar about ¼ cup at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. You should be able to flip your bowl upside down and not have any of its contents come out; that’s how you know it’s ready. Add the cornstarch, white-wine vinegar, vanilla extract, and gently fold it into the meringue. To fold, insert a spatula into the meringue—like how one would use a knife—then turn it to the side to scoop up the mixture and fold it over onto itself. Continue until everything is combined.

Step two: Baking

Mound the meringue onto the parchment paper and shape it into a disk that has a diameter of eight to nine inches and is around one and a half to two inches thick. Flatten the top and smooth out the sides. Then, place the meringue in the oven and let it bake for one hour and 15 minutes. Once that time is up, turn the oven off and allow the meringue to cool inside the oven; this prevents the meringue from cracking.

Step three: Toppings

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix it around then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until ready to serve. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks and set aside until ready to serve.

Step four: Serving

Peel the parchment paper from the meringue. The outside will be hard, but the inside should be more of a spongy texture. Then, place the meringue on a plate or cake stand. Crack the top with the back of a spoon to create a small divot where the whipped cream and strawberries will go. Then, distribute the whipped cream evenly on top of the meringue and add the strawberries last. Serve immediately or place it in the refrigerator for later.

The Recipe yields six to eight servings.