Pavlova with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream, Seasonal Berries, and Black Raspberry Rose Coulis
I love participating in Kimberly’s (from The Little Plantation) #EatCaptureShare challenge when I can, and that’s how this pretty number came into being.
Pavlova was a dessert that I had been wanting to make for years. Why I waited until this year to do it, I couldn’t tell you.
I’ve always LOVED meringue - ever since I was little, and I’ve tried pavlova a time or two, so I knew this was going to quickly became a favorite dessert to not only eat, but to make. The light and airy crispy exterior, with the chewy marshmallow-like center - what’s not to love?!
I am so excited to share this recipe with you, because there’s no denying that it’s a show stopper. It isn’t super hard to make BUT there’s a lot of steps and it requires a chunk of time. So make sure you’ve cleared at least 3 hours in your day if you’re going to make this.
Pavlova with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream, Black Raspberry Rose Coulis, and Seasonal Berries
Serves 4 to 6
Pavlova
Ingredients
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A couple handfuls of fresh seasonal berries of your choosing, for assembly
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a stand up mixer, using the whisk attachment, add egg whites and salt. Whisk on a high speed until soft peaks form.
Turn mixer down to a medium speed, and gradually add sugar to egg whites. Once all sugar is in, return mixer speed to high. Beat for another couple minutes until glossy stiff peaks form - the peaks should be so stiff that it could hold it’s shape if you turned the whisk right side up.
Gently fold cornstarch, vinegar, and extract into the mixture.
Line two baking sheets with parchment, and using a spatula, create 3 disks with the meringue that are roughly the same size in diameter.
The oven portion is next, and here’s the biggest rule of thumb to follow: DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, OPEN THE OVEN DOOR DURING ANY PORTION OF THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH.
Gently place in oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the meringue begins to show a very light tan color on the outside, then reduce heat to 275 and cook for another 45 minutes. Then turn off oven and allow meringue to stay inside for at least an hour (or up to overnight).
Remove from oven, allow it to cool to room temperature- if removed after just an hour - before adding any fillings and toppings.
Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream
Ingredients
16 ounces Mascarpone, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or two vanilla beans scraped
Instructions
In a standing mixer, combine all ingredients. Using a whisk attachment, beat on a medium low speed for about 2 minutes or until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and beginning to thicken.
Increase speed to medium high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture reaches a consistency that’s similar to that of a buttercream icing mixed with whipped cream.
Cover and place in refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.
Black Raspberry Rose Coulis
Ingredients
16 ounces frozen black raspberries (or regular red raspberries if you can’t find black)
1/3 cup sugar
1 capful rose water
Instructions
In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, add berries, 1 cup of water, sugar, and rose water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium low and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly reduced and thick.
If too tart, add more sugar. If too thick, add a splash more water.
Once done, remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then strain through a double mesh strainer into a jar or other container with a lid, seal, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours or until fully chilled.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Place Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream into a pastry bag fashioned with your preferred piping tip (I recommend a wider tip for fuller coverage).
*if you don’t have pastry bags and piping tips, just cut the corner off a large ziplock bag.
Pipe a layer of cream on top of the first pavlova disk. Place second disk on top and pipe another layer of cream. Place last disk on top, and pipe remaining cream on top - if you’re running low on the cream, just pipe on the edge of the last disk.
Drizzle Black Raspberry Coulis over the top of your beautiful creation, add your seasonal berries to the center of the top disk, and then serve!
Feel free to add a splash more coulis and a few more berries to each individual serving if you’re feeling a lil wild.
