mini pavlova with grapefruit curd and rosemary

The pavlova is such an underrated festive dessert. It has all of the textures going on–a crispy exterior, a slight chew from the meringue shell, a creamy whipped topping, and a luscious marshmallowy center. It brings together the sweetness of a meringue with the tart and fresh flavors from sliced fruit and curd. The colors of the fruit pop against the pristine white exterior of the meringue, visually calling you in. And it is both gluten-free and nut-free, making it the perfect dessert for a holiday party or other group celebration. The only thing that can make a pavlova more wonderful is to make adorable miniature versions.

This mini pavlova recipe celebrates winter fruits, through a combination of grapefruit, orange, and pomegranate. Because meringues are so sweet, I intentionally developed this recipe to incorporate more bitter or sour fruits and a few savory elements to balance the sweetness. The marshmallowy pavlova is topped with a lightly sweetened honey grapefruit curd paired with a rosemary- and star anise-infused whipped cream topping. Orange slices and pomegranate seeds add extra freshness and texture to the dish.

For those of you who are not familiar with pavlovas, they are quite common in Australia and New Zealand and are essentially meringues that are undercooked to maintain a soft and marshmallowy center. For this recipe it is essential that you use egg whites that have not been contaminated with any yolks, as they will not whip up properly. I often have extra egg whites leftover from my other dessert recipes. You can easily throw those in a Ziploc bag or a clean ice cube tray and store them in the freezer for moments like this! For the proper texture and to avoid collapse or leakage, these meringues should be cooked slowly at a low temperature and cooled gradually.

Mini pavlovas with grapefruit curd and rosemary

Recipe by MoniqueCourse: Cakes and custardsDifficulty: Weekend baking project
Yields

14

pavlovas
Prep time

2

hours
Bake time

50

minutes

These mini pavlovas are crisp on the outside, with a fluffy marshmallow center. The sweet meringue is balanced by a zingy grapefruit curd, a creamy rosemary-infused whipped cream, and fresh pomegranate and orange on top. This dessert has the perfect combination of flavors and textures, and is gluten-free and nut-free.

Ingredients

  • For the grapefruit curd
  • 2 Tbsp grapefruit zest

  • 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice

  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 3 egg yolks

  • 2 whole eggs

  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

  • For the meringue
  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature (about 250g)

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/2 tsp white vinegar

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

  • For the topping
  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 2 sprigs rosemary

  • 1 star anise pod

  • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

  • 2 tsp confectioners’ sugar

  • 1 pomegranate

  • 1-2 oranges (cara cara, blood orange, or regular orange, depending on your preference)

Instructions

  • Make the grapefruit curd
  • Place the grapefruit juice into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the juice is reduced by half (should be 1/2 cup total). Let cool until it no longer feels hot to the touch.
  • Make sure your saucepan has cooled down before proceeding, so as not to accidentally cook the egg yolks. To the saucepan with the grapefruit juice, add the remaining ingredients for the curd. Return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted and the curd has thickened, about 7 minutes. The curd is ready when it coats the back of the spoon. If you run a finger through it on the spoon, it should leave a clear trail. Immediately remove from the heat and strain the curd into a glass jar or other container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until ready to use.
  • Make the meringue
  • To the bowl of a mixer, add the egg whites, salt, and vinegar. Mix on medium low speed until the egg whites have broken up and the mixture becomes foamy and transforms from translucent to a more opaque white. Then very slowly sprinkle in the granulated sugar while continuing to whip on medium speed, sprinkling in about a spoonful at a time. Continue whipping until the mixture becomes very glossy and holds stiff peaks. If you pick up the whisk and hold it upright, the egg whites at the tip should stick straight up and not flop down. This can take up to 10-15 minutes depending on your mixer and the temperature of your egg whites so be patient.
  • Once you reach this stage, sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar. Then increase the speed to medium and continue whipping until you once again have stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and cardamom and beat just until combined.
  • Preheat the oven to 200F. Trace 2.5″ circles on a piece of parchment paper to use as a guide, making sure to leave about 1-2″ of space in between circles. Flip the parchment over so the side with the marking is facing down. Place a small bit of meringue on the four back corners of the parchment and use it to “glue” the corners to the sheet pan to prevent the paper from sliding. For the next step, you can spoon the meringue in a 2-inch tall mound within each traced circle or you can transfer the meringue into a piping bag or large ziploc bag, snipping off the tip for a 1/2″ opening. Pipe to fill the circle, spiraling up until you have a mound that is about 2″ tall.
  • Use the back of a spoon to make a generous indent in the top, to make room for the toppings later on. It should resemble a nest.
  • Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the outside is crisp to the touch and the base of each pavlova easily separates from the parchment. The bake time will depend on how tall your pavlova is but you want to take it out right away once it meets the criteria, to make sure you get the marshmallowy center. Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, and let gradually cool overnight. Alternately, you can let cool in the oven for about 1-2 hours and then let it finish cooling on the counter for another 2 hours or so. Store cooled pavlovas in an airtight container until ready to serve.
  • Infuse the cream
  • Place the cream, rosemary and star anise in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Strain the cream and refrigerate until fully chilled before whipping the topping.
  • Assemble
  • When you’re ready to assemble, with a whisk or in a stand mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the infused heavy cream, mascarpone, and sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and has soft peaks.
  • Prepare the fruit. Remove the pomegranate seeds from the pomegranate. Peel the orange and cut into thin slices. Cut the slices into small segments.
  • Gently place the pavlovas out on a tray. Add a generous dollop of cream to the center to fill the nest and top with another generous spoonful of grapefruit curd. Arrange the orange pieces on top and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve within an hour or two of assembling. Leftovers will still be delicious but the texture of the meringue will be a bit different.

Notes

  • Pavlovas are best if eaten within 24 hours of baking, and within a couple hours of fully assembling. If making these for an event, I recommend baking them the night before. The mascarpone whipped cream will also remain stable for about one day if you would like to make that in advance, and the curd can be made several days in advance.
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