Monday, January 7, 2013

Pomegranate Pavlova


Happy 2013! I hope the holiday season was good to you, with plenty of time spent with loved ones. Our time was happily filled with a visit to see family and friends, a lovely wedding, many games of Banagrams, many episodes of Boardwalk Empire, sledding, cooking from Burma, reading and eating peppermint bark and popcorn. And, of course, the return of Downton Abbey last night.

Over the winter break, I reminisced about our trip to Australia during the same time last year, and this lead to thoughts of Pavlova, which is very popular during the Christmas season there (large meringues are readily available in the grocery stores).  I’ve shared my love of cream and meringue desserts before, and Pavlova is another such creation - an old favorite for a new year.


Egg whites are whipped with sugar until they are snowy white and then mounded with softly muffled glumpf sounds onto a baking pan and swirled into a round. When baked, I’ve noticed that sometimes the meringue stays white and sometimes it becomes golden, which reminds me of a nicely toasted marshmallow - not a bad thing! Billows of whipped cream are then spread over the meringue and topped with fruit.

Passion fruit is traditional (we ate the best passion fruit ever in Australia), but I chose to use some beautiful pomegranates which are in season now. Pomegranate arils are so pretty, like little jewels, and their ruby color is striking against the white cream, their crimson juice staining it pink.  They burst with tart flavor as you take a bite of this light, airy confection. The soft crunch of meringue melts in your mouth. This is one magical dessert.


Pavlova is stunning, perfect for a holiday celebration or an elegant dinner party. Or, in our case, a family dinner where we blissfully devoured the whole thing, winter break stretching luxuriously ahead of us.

Now we have a shiny new year ahead filled with new possibilities. I am looking forward to a delicious, creative 2013 with lots of joy, both in and out of the kitchen. Wishing you the same, as well!


Pomegranate Pavlova
Serves 6-8

2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
6 egg whites, room temperature
A pinch of kosher salt
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 cup pomegranate arils

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Draw a 9 inch circle on a piece of parchment paper and place it on a baking sheet.

In a glass measuring cup, stir together the cornstarch, white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Set aside. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed with a pinch of kosher salt until soft peaks begin to form. Lower the speed a little and slowly add 1 cup of sugar. Pour in the cornstarch mixture. Whisk until well mixed. The egg whites should be smooth and billowy, be sure not to over mix them.

Gently spoon the egg whites onto the baking sheet and smooth to fill the circle. Place the baking sheet in the oven and lower the heat to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour, then decrease the heat to 180 degrees for 1/2 hour.  The meringue should be puffed and lightly golden. Turn the heat off and leave the meringue to cool in the oven with the door closed. It can be prepared the night before and left in the closed oven until the next day.

When ready to serve, whip the chilled heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until mixed.

Peel the parchment paper off the meringue and place on a flat serving plate. Dollop the whipped cream over the top and smooth. Scatter the pomegranate arils and any collected juices over the cream. Bring to the table and serve in slices.

43 comments:

  1. I have never had Pavlova before but that looks pretty amazing!

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    1. Thank you, Alyssa! It's a little lighter than some other sweets due to the meringue, but still pretty decadent.

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  2. I'm glad you had a great holiday season! Pavlova is indeed marvelous; I have a pavlova recipe lurking in the depths of my hard drive that I need to share. Yours looks great--I love that golden color, and I am going crazy for pomegranates right now!

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    1. I hope you share your Pavlova soon, Brianne - I'm such a fan and would love to try it. :) And aren't the pomegranates incredible? I just bought another to make this smoothie from Food52: http://food52.com/recipes/19903_triple_pomegranate_smoothie?utm_source=FOOD52+Subscribers+List&utm_campaign=ab3c23169b-digest1_6_131_4_2013&utm_medium=email#

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    2. Woops - here's a better link! http://food52.com/recipes/19903_triple_pomegranate_smoothie

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  3. Glumpf! Love it. Your pavlova looks like heaven.

    Paul and I watched the first season of Boardwalk Empire recently but I haven't seen any of the other episodes yet. I was really impressed by the look of it. I just wish someone hadn't thrown up almost every episode! Ick.

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    1. Thank you, Lauren! :)

      We finished the first season and really enjoyed it. Now that everyone's back to school/work we have to hold off on starting the second...we have no self control and would be too sleep deprived! Totally agree with the throwing up scenes. Blech.

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  4. It's beautiful. I'll have to try this one.

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    1. Thank you so much, Margot! I hope you enjoy it. If it's rainy and damp when you make it I'd recommend keeping the meringue air tight until serving so it stays crisp.

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  5. Oh my. You said the magic words. "Heavy Cream." Lol! =) This looks fantastic! I've heard of pavlovas but didn't know what they were. Nice!

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    1. Cream always catches my attention, too, Brooke! I hope you can enjoy a Pavlova sometime. :)

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  6. Gorgeous pavlova, I love the pomegranate topping!

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    1. Thank you, Laura! You can't go wrong with pomegranates - they are so pretty and tasty. I'm happy seeing them so available right now.

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  7. Oh how beautiful, I love LOVE pavlova and pomegranate is also one of my favorite fruits, this is perfect, light and so so beautiful.

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    1. Thank you so much, Suzanne! Pomegranates provide such a beautiful pop of color in winter and are one of my favorites, too.

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  8. What a fun idea Hannah! I will have to put this on my list of must-trys. Your nuts, by the way, were a big hit last weekend. This would make such an elegant dessert yet fairly light as well. Can't wait to start cooking with you soon as we start #TastingJrslm!

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    1. Oh, I'm delighted you enjoyed the nuts, Beth! I'm excited for #TastingJrslm, too...such a gorgeous treasure of recipes for us to explore.

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  9. Pavlova is one of my faves, and pomegranate is the perfect topping this time of year. Love it, Hannah!

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    1. Thank you, Christie! Happy to share some Pavlova love with you. :)

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  10. There is something so inherently elegant about pomegranate...stunningly beautiful, elegant, delicious. I can never get enough. YUM!

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  11. This looks amazing! Love the pretty color of the pomegranates! Would love to join us on Foodie Friends Friday on my blog this week. Come link up a recipe or two!

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    1. Thank you, Lois! I'm happy you stopped by - I'll check out Foodie Friends. Have a lovely weekend!

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  12. Beautiful dessert...especially with the pomegranate topping.

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  13. What a gorgeous pavlova! I love pomegranate too and they look like jewels on your pavlova!!

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    1. Thank you, Nami! Pomegranates add such an elegant touch - definitely like jewels.

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  14. My goodness, that pavlova is beautiful! It makes me want a pomegranate right now...

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    1. Thank you, Christina! I can't resist pomegranates in the markets right now...such a refreshing winter treat.

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  15. Looks delicious! Thank you for joining Foodie Friends Friday. Please come back on Sunday to VOTE! Please add our link to your recipe!

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    1. Thank you, Lois! I'm delighted to join the party.

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  16. Pavlova is on my bucket list of things to make. thanks for reminding me. I found your pavlova on the Foodie Friends Friday Link up.

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    1. I'm happy you stopped by, Marlene! Hope you can bake a Pavlova soon. And with a new year starting I should take a look at my bucket list... :)

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  17. Beautiful Pavlova, Hannah! Found you through Foodie Friends Friday!

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    1. Thank you, Cindy! I'm happy you stopped by and I look forward to visiting your site. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

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  18. I've become obsessed with pomegranates recently... they're such beautiful, tart-but-sweet jewels aren't they? Your pavlova looks absolutely beautiful. I might even try a chocolate version for the base :) Thanks for the beautiful recipe, glad that I found your blog! x

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    1. Thank you so much, Laura! I agree, pomegranates are truly lovely and delicious. They provide such a bright spot to winter produce! And I love your suggestion of a chocolate meringue...next time. :)

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  19. Happy New Year Hannah! Mine has been family filled & now I finally have a morning to catch up on reading! Beautiful pay...I have also had a summer of pads....whipped cream, raspberries & salted caramel sauce the winner so far!

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    1. Oh wow, Mairi, whipped cream, raspberries and salted caramel?? You are inspiring me. I'm keeping this combo in mind for when we have fresh raspberries in season...always a delicious time of year. I'm happy to hear you've had a family-filled new year so far. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead (with lots of good eating!).

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