When I grew up in Texas, I remember my mother’s wonderful parties. She made everything from scratch. One of my mother’s favorite desserts to make for a crowd was a Pavlova, a large meringue base filled with fruits and topped with whipped cream and of course ice cream! She would present this gorgeous dessert to her guests and serve it with big scoops of ice cream. Of course, everyone would ooh and ahh at the presentation. Here, I took my family classic and added a summer twist topping the pavlova with whipped cream and macerated mixed berries, and of course, serving with vanilla ice cream as an ode to mom.
At the farmers market in Water Mill, I found some beautiful blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries that I tossed with a little bit of sugar, some zesty lemon juice, and a splash of Grand Marnier liqueur. When you make this dessert, any combination of summer berries will be a hit, whether you make it all red berries like raspberries and strawberries or keep it the same mix as I did. And you can also use other summer fruit… peaches, plums, etc.
Stiffened egg whites
Meringue ready for oven
The pavlova itself is chewy and sweet, the whipped cream is airy and creamy, and the berries add an acidic punch to make this dessert absolutely addicting. This easy dessert is perfect for finishing off a summer party and this dessert is best served immediately to your guests so that the berry juices don’t seep into the pavlova. Enjoy!
Just baked
Spooning Berries
Ingredients
Pavlova
- 8 egg whites
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Macerated Berries
- 8 ounces raspberries
- 12 ounces blueberries
- 8 ounces blackberries
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier optional
- Vanilla Ice Cream for serving
Instructions
Pavlova
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, add egg whites and whip withthe whisk attachment on high for 2-3 minutes, until frothy and foamy.
- Then, lower to medium speed and slowly pour in thesugar until completely combined.
- Turn the mixer back on high and whip until theegg whites have reached stiff peaks. Add in vanilla and whip for another 2minutes.
- Using a large bowl as a guide, draw a circle ona piece of parchment paper.
- Use the meringue mixture and place dots on allfour corners of a baking sheet. Then, place the parchment paper on the baking sheetusing the meringue dots to glue it in place.
- Scoop the meringue into the center of the circleand slowly push it out towards the edges until the whole circle is filled.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until crunchy onthe outside but still soft in the middle. Set aside and let cool completely.
Whipped Cream
- In a stand mixer, add heavy cream and whip withthe whisk attachment on high for 2 minutes.
- Then, add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whip for anadditional 1-2 minutes or until it reaches stiff peaks.
Macerated Berries
- In a large bowl, add all of the berries, sugar,lemon juice and zest, and Grand Marnier if using. Toss to combine.
- Let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Assemble the pavlova starting with the cooledmeringue base, then spread whipped cream over the top leaving at least 1 incharound the edge of the pavlova. Using a slotted spoon, add the berries on topof the whipped cream. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream!
