Most Americans are not familiar with this meringue disc covered in whipped cream and fresh fruit. But folks in Australia and New Zealand love this light, fruity dessert named after a ballerina. And if you try, you will, too.
The traditional form is a large circle that is cut into pieces to serve, but I think it’s great fun to make individually-sized discs and make a Pavlova buffet with various fruit, sauces like lemon curd and fresh coulis, and of course, plenty of sweetened whipped cream. Then each person can create their own combo.
The good news is that the meringues can be made the day before, provided you store them airtight so humidity can’t affect them. Lemon curd is best made and chilled a day before, too. I wouldn’t make my whipped cream until closer to eating so it doesn’t deflate. But it’s honestly an easy dessert to make. Let’s start with the meringues.
Mini Pavlova Meringues
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet by drawing small circles about 4 inches in diameter (or whatever size you want to use) on a piece of parchment paper that fits your sheet. The circles can be very close together as the meringue does not rise. Turn the paper over and place on the sheet, so you can see the guide circles.
In a mixer bowl, whip until soft peaks form:
½ cups egg whites (about 4 eggs, make sure there is zero yolk)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
After soft peaks form, mix together
¾ cup white sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
Slowly add the sugar/starch mixture as you increase the mixer speed to high. Whip until peaks are glossy, shiny, and stiff.
Place a large spoonful of meringue on a circle and use the spoon to spread it out, leaving a little depression in the middle to hold the toppings later. Bake for one hour and leaving the oven door closed, leave in the oven an additional hour. Store finished discs airtight until ready to serve.
When it’s dessert time, set up your buffet with any fresh fruit you like. I did various berries, macerated strawberries (adding a little sugar to enhance their flavor), pineapple, kiwis, peaches (can be canned if you can’t find ripe ones), mango, and sweet cherries. Doing a raspberry couli and lemon curd, along with the whipped cream, adds a nice pop of flavor. Eat your Pavlovas immediately after assembly. This is not a dessert to make a few hours in advance.
Here’s a recipe for Lemon Curd. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s amazing!
Lemon Curd
In a small pan, heat to boiling:
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh grated lemon zest
In a bowl, whisk well:
4 whole eggs
Slowly add the hot mixture into the eggs while beating. If you add all at once, you could “scramble” the beaten eggs. Once the hot mixture is all in, pour it back into the pan and put on low to medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and heat just until the mixture coats the back of the spoon/spatula. Don’t let it boil. Remove from heat and pour through a sieve, to remove any egg lumps and the larger zest. Let cool before serving and store in the refrigerator. To prevent a “skin” from forming on top, place a small piece of plastic wrap on the warm surface before it cools.
