Raspberry Pavlova With Peaches and Cream
This Pavlova’s meringue foundation has freeze-dried raspberry powder shot through it, tinting it pink and giving it a fruity, candy-like flavor. But if you can’t get the freeze-dried berries, just leave them out. The meringue will still bake up with a shatteringly crisp shell and a marshmallow-like interior that makes an edible bowl for the whipped cream and fruit. If it’s not humid out, the meringue shell can be baked up to a day ahead. Otherwise, it’s best made the day you plan to serve it.
- Total:
- Serves: 10 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ¼cups freeze-dried raspberries (1 1/3 ounces)
- 6large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 ½cups/300 grams granulated sugar
- ½teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½cup/125 grams Demerara sugar
- ½vanilla bean, split
- 2(1 1/2-inch) strips lemon zest
- 3small (or 2 large) ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
- ½pint raspberries (1 cup)
- 2cups/480 milliliters heavy cream
- ½cup/120 milliliters sour cream
- 1 ½tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle with a 9-inch diameter, then flip paper upside-down. You’ll still be able to see the outline.Step 2
Using a blender or food processor, blend the raspberries until you get a fine powder speckled with seeds. (The seeds won’t break down so don’t even try.) You should have about 1/3 cup. Set aside.Step 3
Using the bowl from an electric mixer, whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Fill a medium pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Set the mixing bowl with the egg white mixture into the pot, and whisk constantly by hand until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.Step 4
Remove bowl from heat, transfer bowl back to the mixer, and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the raspberry powder until combined but still very streaky.Step 5
Spoon mixture onto prepared parchment paper circle. Lightly drag a spatula along the outer edges of the mixture from bottom to top, to help build up the edges so there is a deep well in the center of the pavlova. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until dry and firm to the touch. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.Step 6
A half-hour before serving, prepare the topping: Stir together 1/2 cup water, sugar, vanilla bean and lemon zest in a small pot over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and syrup is thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Put peaches in a bowl, stir in syrup and let cool.Step 7
Whisk together cream, sour cream, confectioners’ sugar and salt until firm peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.Step 8
Fill cooled pavlova with whipped cream; use a slotted spoon to top with peach mixture and raspberries, then drizzle with some of the syrup from bottom of the peach bowl. Serve at once.