TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Don't Let Meringue Scare You From This Killer Combination

Photo by LYNN KESSEL

Simple to assemble, this light dessert won't tie you down in the kitchen or weigh you down after eating it. The stunning Pavlova deserves an equally special accompaniment — your favorite bubbly, perhaps?

ADVERTISEMENT

By LYNN KESSEL

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 11, 2009

Updated:

Half the romance of Valentine's Day is in the dessert.

And an old-fashioned, irresistible Pavlova leads my list of smashing desserts worthy of superlatives like heavenly, decadent or indulgent.

It's a killer combination of airy chocolate meringue, a generous gloss of freshly whipped cream and, depending on the season, luscious, fresh-picked berries. My personal favorite is topped with raspberries, but this is strawberry season, so I'll go with that.

I've researched this dessert and found a blur of differing baking times, temperatures, ingredients and procedures: Start by beating slow, then fast; start fast and don't stop; use Silpat, use foil, no, use parchment. Cornstarch, no cornstarch, vinegar; no, use wine; bake at 185 degrees, no, 225; start at 350 and reduce to 300. Yowza! By now you're probably thinking you need a degree in chemistry.

Don't let all that intimidate you - or the following.

In 1978, New York Times writers Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey described Pavlova by writing, "When the meringue comes from the oven, it looks like a disaster."

Quite honestly, it can. It resembles something like a Frisbee that sags in the middle. But, the good thing about a Pavlova is that it doesn't matter if it cracks or caves in. You can cover any flaws with mounds of whipped cream.

This dessert is believed to have been created to honor the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand. A popular dish, it's an important part of the national cuisine of both countries and is frequently eaten during the holidays or at celebratory meals.

Making a meringue ought to be simple, right? After all, all you need are some egg whites and sugar. But many a cook has been frustrated by limp and chewy meringue. Here are a few common mistakes:

•Making meringue on a humid day. The sugar in the meringue attracts moisture, and that's what makes it chewy.

•Using the wrong type of mixing bowl. Spotlessly clean metal or glass bowls are best for yielding voluminous, beaten egg whites.

•Using eggs at the wrong temperature. While the eggs are cold, separate the white from the yolk, but beat the whites at room temperature.

•Finding traces of yolk in the egg whites. Any remnants of yolk ruins meringue.

•Adding sugar too quickly. Sugar needs to be added tablespoon by tablespoon at the soft-peak stage.

About a year ago, when I first served the following Pavlova recipe at a dinner party, awaiting forks plunged and reduced my confection to crumbs within minutes. Since then, the Pavlova has worked its way into my dessert rotation. It came from Nigella Lawson's "Forever Summer" cookbook, which has proven itself recipe after recipe as a must-have.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA

Chocolate meringue base:

6 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Topping:

21/4 cups heavy cream

1 heaping pint of fresh berries

2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely grated, bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and chopped chocolate on top. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Mound the meringue onto a baking sheet in a circle about 9 inches in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in oven, then immediately turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees and cook for about one to one-and-a-quarter hours. When it's ready, the meringue should look crisp around the edges and on the sides, and dry on top.

Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let the chocolate meringue disk cool completely. When you're ready to serve, invert it onto a large, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream until thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter with berries. Coarsely grate the chocolate and sprinkle haphazardly over the top.

Serves 8 to 10.

Source: Adapted from "Forever Summer" by Nigella Lawson

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com or P.O. Box 913, Ruskin FL 33575-0913. For more of her recipes, visit southshore.tbo.com and enter the search words: Lynn Kessel. Readers are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes, comments and suggesti

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT