Desserts
Vanilla Pavlovas with Spiced Pineapple Sauce
Light as a feather and just as light in calories, with Pavlova you can have your cake and eat it too! Pavlova [pav-LOH-vah], named for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is a meringue-based dessert topped with fruit and whipped cream. What makes Pavlova so appealing is the contrasting textures of the baked meringue — crispy exterior with a chewy, marshmallowy center.
Successful Pavlova hinges on the texture of the baked meringue. To achieve that texture you need volume. For the most volume, start with room-temperature egg whites — they’ll give you much more than cold ones. Next, stabilize the whites with cream of tartar, and to ensure a smooth meringue, beat the whites with superfine sugar, which dissolves easier than granulated.
Now that you have smooth, voluminous meringue, keep it that way by adding a cooked cornstarch slurry. It keeps the exterior smooth and shiny and prevents shrinking. To flavor the meringue, use vanilla bean paste — it’s thick so it won’t affect the texture like vanilla extract could. And finally, bake the meringues at a low temperature to achieve that hallmark texture.
Ingredients
FOR THE PAVLOVAS, WHISK:
BEAT:
FOR THE PINEAPPLE SAUCE, HEAT:
WHISK:
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM, BEAT:
Test Kitchen Tip
It’s easier to separate eggs when they’re cold, so separate them, then let them come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Reserve the yolks for another use.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 275° with racks in top and bottom thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
For the Pavlovas, whisk together water and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat until it thickens, about 3 minutes; transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar; beat to soft peaks, 2 minutes. With the mixer running, add superfine sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until all is added. Increase mixer speed to high. Beat the whites until thick, glossy, and stiff peaks form, 3–4 minutes more.
Add cornstarch mixture and 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste; beat on high speed until stiff peaks form again, 1–2 minutes.
Scoop twelve ½-cup portions of the meringue onto prepared baking sheets. Form a well in each meringue with the back of a spoon.
Bake meringues until dry and crisp on the edges, about 45 minutes. Shut off the oven and let the meringues cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. For the pineapple sauce, heat pineapple, pineapple juice, granulated sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste, allspice, and salt in a saucepan over medium until simmering.
Whisk together lime juice and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, then stir into pineapple sauce and cook until mixture thickens, 30 seconds. Transfer sauce to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
For the whipped cream, beat cream to stiff peaks. Add yogurt, powdered sugar, and 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste and beat just until combined. To assemble Pavlovas, top meringues with sauce and whipped cream.
Cream of tartar denatures the egg proteins so the egg whites form a more stable meringue.
A cooked cornstarch slurry keeps the meringue shiny and prevents it from shrinking while cooling.
Use the back of a spoon to form wells in the centers of the meringues to hold the pineapple sauce.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 279
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 43mg 14%
Sodium 42mg 1%
Carbs 42g 14%
Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 3g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.