This fresh, summer Pavlova proved to be quite the crowd pleaser at a house party I attended last weekend. With so many of us hungering for summer to finally arrive, perhaps it was the glistening red encouragement of the first of the season’s fresh strawberries that brought about such a positive response. Like so many recipes that are popular today, no one knows who first created the Pavlova. “But the name and the recipes first began appearing soon after Russian prima ballerina, Anna Matveyevna Pavlova (1881-1931), toured both Australia and New Zealand in 1926 and Australia again in 1929. Anna Pavlova was considered the greatest ballerina of her time and her visit to New Zealand has been described as ‘the chief event of 1926.’ It was said ‘She does not dance; she soars as though on wings.’ From this you get the sense that this is a light, airy dessert.”
Anna Matveyevna Pavlova- rumoured to be the name sake of this now famous, much enjoyed dessert.
Strawberry Pavlova
Meringue:
6 egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 325* F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric beater until satiny peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Pour the meringue out onto the cookie sheet and spread out evenly into the shape of a circle, about 11-12” across. Be sure to shape the outer edges so that they are straight. Place in the oven, reduce the heat to 300* F and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the meringue is completely cool, gently remove it from the cookie sheet and place it on a large, flat serving platter.
Whipped Cream:
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Add all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Whip until soft and thick.
Berries:
5 cups of fresh, washed strawberries, hulled and sliced
¼ cup sugar
1/3 c brandy
Gently combine all 3 ingredients in a large bowl.
Assembly:
½ cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted (garnish)
Pour the whipped cream onto the meringue, spreading evenly and to the outer edges. Top with the berries and drizzle with any juice that may be at the bottom of the berry bowl. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Slice and serve as you would any pie or cake.
