Beautiful Berry Pavlova

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By Jeanne Benedict
Celebrations Expert

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Pavlova is a delicate dessert named for the legendary ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. This classic Australian sweet consists of a large meringue disk filled with whipped cream and toppings such as fresh fruit making it colorful and ripe for Easter!

Ingredients

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup cold heavy cream
Fresh strawberries, blackberries, raspberries (rinsed)
Fresh mint sprigs (rinsed)

Steps

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Draw an 8-inch circle on to wax paper using a pencil (I usually trace a cake pan!) Place the paper upside down on a baking sheet.
Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Egg white peaks should be firm but still glossy and not over beaten. Fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornstarch until just incorporated.
Using the circle on the wax paper as a guide, spoon mixture into a round disk about 2 to 3 inches high. Use a spoon to make a slight well (@1-inch deep) in the center.
Bake for 1 hour. Then, turn the oven off and allow Pavlova to cool for an hour in the oven. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Gently remove wax paper from meringue disk. I find a large offset spatula to be a helpful tool for this process as the meringue cracks very easily (which you can cover with whipped cream). Place the meringue on a flat serving plate.
Beat cold heavy cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar on high speed until whipped. Spoon whipped cream into the center well of the meringue disk and decorate with berries and mint sprigs. Serve immediately.
Makes about 12 to 15 servings