Baker Gesine Bullock-Prado puts a spring spin on the traditional pavlova, folding nutty pistachios into the crisp and chewy meringue and mixing tangy rhubarb and strawberries into the cream that's piled on top.
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- Yields:
- 8
- Cook Time:
- 40 mins
- Total Time:
- 3 hrs 15 mins
Ingredients
Pavlova
- 1 c. chopped unsalted pistachios
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 5 lg. egg whites, at room temp.
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
Rhubarb Cream
- 4 oz. rhubarb, chopped into 1 in. pieces (1 c.)
- 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 c. hulled and quartered strawberries, plus 1/2 c. small strawberries for garnish
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c. heavy cream, chilled
- 1/2 c. mascarpone cheese, chilled
- 1/4 c. chopped, unsalted pistachios, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1Make the pavlova: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, toss the pistachios with the cornstarch.
- Step 2In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites with the salt at high speed until foamy, 2 minutes. Beat in the vinegar, then beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the whites are glossy and stiff peaks form, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently fold in the pistachio mixture. Using a large spoon, dollop the meringue onto the prepared sheet and spread into a 10-inch round with a slight indentation in the center. Lower the oven temperature to 225 degrees F and bake the meringue for about 1 1/2 hours, until crisp but still chewy on the inside. Turn the oven off; let the meringue rest in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
- Step 3Meanwhile, make the rhubarb cream: in a small saucepan, simmer the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice over moderate heat, stirring and mashing the rhubarb with the back of a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb breaks down, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the quartered strawberries and vanilla bean paste. Let cool completely.
- Step 4In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream with the mascarpone at medium speed until moderately firm, about 3 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup of the whipped cream into the cooled rhubarb, then fold the mixture into the remaining whipped cream. Spoon into the center of the meringue. Garnish with the small strawberries and chopped pistachios and serve.
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