Pavlova
My fiance got me a KitchenAid stand mixer for Christmas, so I was excited to try a recipe that I couldn’t make by hand. Pavlova was a perfect, challenging treat to make. Beaten egg whites with stiff peaks, freshly whipped cream, and my own twist with the addition of yummy vanilla pastry cream to add an extra layer of richness (and use up the egg yolks).
Ingredients
Pavlova
4 large egg whites (use the yolks for pastry cream!)
1 cup (200g) superfine sugar, I used powdered. You can blend granulated sugar to make superfine
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pastry Cream
1 and 1/3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
2 Tbsp cornstarch, scant
1/6 teaspoon Salt
2/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
(Optional) Lemon juice
Whipped Cream
1 cup (235ml) cold heavy cream
1 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp superfine or granulated sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt
Fruit Topping
I used chopped kiwi, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries
Instructions
Pavlova
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar in increments, beating to incorporate for about 30 seconds between. Add the vanilla extract and turn up to high speed and beat until glossy stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cream of tartar, cornstarch, and apple cider vinegar. Spread into a circle on the parchment paper, and put in the oven. Turn down to 275 F and bake for 60 minutes, then down to 250 F for another 45 minutes.
When it is ready, the outside should be hard/crispy/crunchy to the touch.
Pastry Cream
Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl.
Bring the milk to a simmer over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Stir small amounts into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to ensure the egg yolks don’t curdle and the mixture is smooth. Once all the milk is incorporated, return to the saucepan and cook on medium-high heat, whisking constantly.
The mixture will thicken after about 5 minutes. Be patient and vigilant. It happens quickly, and you want to remove from heat just as it’s slightly thickening and before it solidifies into a gelatinous pudding.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and any other flavorings like lemon juice. Transfer into a bowl.
Whipped Cream
Combine cream, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and salt into the stand mixture bowl. Whisk on low until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high until soft peaks form. You can continue beating until stiff peaks form, which happen quickly, about 10 seconds after soft peaks. You can see from my photos that I slightly overbeat them until it was nearly a creamed butter, but this spread still worked great on the pavlova.
Final Assembly
When the pavlova is fully cooled, spread the whipped cream, then the pastry cream, and finally the fruit. Serve immediately. The crunchy texture of the pavlova is best on the first day. It contrasts nicely with the marshmallow texture in the middle that is fluffy a sticky. If you refrigerate it, the next day it softens and is still a delicious creamy dessert.
