Blackberry Pavlovas

                                                  Blackberry Pavlovas

INGREDIENTS

  

Pavlovas

• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar 250 grams
• A few drops purple food coloring
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Blackberry Jam

• 2 cups blackberries 280 grams
• 1/4 cup sugar 50 grams (or any sweetener, you can use maple syrup or honey as well)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream 354 ml
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar 31 grams
• 1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Pavlovas

• Pre-heat the oven to 250 Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Whip the egg whites on medium speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar to the mixer.
• Once all the sugar has been added, raise the speed to high and whip for 9 minutes. Total whipping time should be 10 to 12 minutes. Towards the end of the whipping time, around minute 8, add the food coloring to the bowl. (To do the swirl color technique in the pavlovas, don’t add food coloring now and read step 7 below.)
• The meringue should have stiff peaks, and should look glossy and shiny.
• Add the cornstarch and lemon juice to the meringue and mix with a spatula until incorporated.
• If you want to do a swirl color in your pavlovas, brush lines of gel food coloring inside the piping bag, from the bottom where the tip is, all the way to the top of the bag. It helps if you place the bag in a cup, with the sides folded over the cup so the bag stays held open. Put a few drops of food coloring on a little bowl or plate, dip the brush in the food coloring, and brush from the bottom of the bag all the way to the top.
• Transfer the meringue to two 16” piping bags fitted with an open star tip.
• Pipe the meringue into 3 1/2” inch nests, leaving some space in the center at the top so you can fill it later.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlovas in there for 30 minutes. Let them cool down before proceeding with the filling. The unfilled pavlovas can be stored for up to 5 days in an air-tight container at room temperature.
• It’s very important to leave the pavlovas in the oven after they are done baking. If you remove them from the oven immediately, or if you constantly open the oven door, the pavlovas will crack or deflate due to the sudden temperature change.

Blackberry Jam

• Place the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, and two tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. If mixture becomes dry, add a couple of tablespoons of water (or more lemon juice), to the pan.
• Dissolve 1 tbsp of cornstarch in 2 tbsp of water.
• Add it to the pan and cook for 1 minute until the jam is thick.
• Remove it to a small bowl. Let it cool in the fridge until completely chilled.

Whipped Cream

• Right before assembling and serving the pavlovas, make the whipped cream. I don’t recommend making the whipped cream ahead.
• Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until the cream has stiff peaks.
• Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice. I like to use a 1M.

To assemble

• Spoon some of the blackberry jam in the center of the pavlovas.
• Top with whipped cream. Decorate with blackberries.
• It’s best to assemble the pavlovas on the day you plan on serving them. Sometimes the jam can make the pavlovas soft, and they will loose that crunchy meringue texture.
• You can make the jam and the pavlovas up to 5 days ahead. And make the whipped cream on the same day you plan on serving the pavlovas.

NOTES

Pavlovas: make sure the meringue is super stiff before you stop whipping. If the meringue isn’t stiff enough, the pavlovas will lose their shape once you pipe. The times indicated above are just a guideline.

Serving: I do recommend filling them the same day you are serving, as the pavlovas will soften up with the curd the longer they sit.

Shelf life: the lemon curd will last for up to 5 days in the fridge, and the pavlovas last for up to 5 days in an air tight container at room temperature, but they start to soften up, specially if it’s humid out.