Cooking Therapy

The Pavlova is a meringue based dessert with a crisp, crunchy exterior and a soft, airy interior, similar to a giant roasted marshmallow! When baked, the inside also gets gooey! It is named after famed Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, and the dish was created to honor her and her visit to Australia and New Zealand (maybe that is also why it looks like a tutu!). For my take on this recipe, I decided to make a “raspberry lemonade” jam and have its tartness complement the light and sugary meringue! It is a light and refreshing dessert, especially for those waning, hot summer days. Try yours today!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour and a half

Wait Time: 1 hour

Serves 8

Ingredients:

5 large egg whites at room temperature

2 cups of sugar

1 pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of cornstarch

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 capful of vanilla extract

4 cups raspberries

Juice of 1 lemon and the zest

Instructions:

For the Pavlova:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
• Draw a 9-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper. That will be the assembly guide for the Pavlova.
• In a stand mixer, add the egg whites and the salt. Beat on a high speed until firm using the whisk attachment
• When the egg whites have firmed, while still on high speed, slowly add 1 cup of sugar, leaving 30 seconds before each pour to be incorporated. Continue to beat until shiny peaks form and add the vanilla so it gets mixed in. The entire process should take about 8-10 minutes
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the cornstarch, using a rubber spatula to fold it
• Flip the parchment paper over so that the circle is on the backside and transfer the meringue over onto the circle on the clean side. Using the rubber spatula and the back end of a spoon, shape the meringue into a disk. Place onto a baking tray and in the oven for an hour and a half
• While the meringue is cooking, make the raspberry lemonade jam. See instructions below
• After the time is up, or close to being up, check on the Pavlova. It should be light brown all around. You can insert a toothpick to check, it will be crusty on the outside and airy soft inside. Then shut the oven off and let the Pavlova rest for an hour in the oven
• Take the Pavlova out and top it with the jam. You can also add whipped cream before adding the jam, if you’d like
• Gently cut the Pavlova and serve
• Enjoy!

For the Raspberry Lemonade filling:

• Place the raspberries, lemon juice and zest, and the remaining cup of sugar in a medium saucepan, stirring and mashing them. Bring to boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the jam begins to thicken, stirring occasionally, and breaking up any remaining chunks. Shut heat of and let cool