Hazelnut Pavlova Tart With Vanilla Scented Rhubarb Food

PAVLOVA WITH RHUBARB AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Stir together 1 cup sugar and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Beat together egg whites, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt with a mixer on low speed until very frothy. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add sugar mixture, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl halfway through.
• Mound meringue onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently spread into a 7-inch circle, leaving a well 3 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch deep in the center. Bake until meringue is crisp on the outside and the texture of marshmallow on the inside, about 2 1/2 hours. (If meringue starts to brown, reduce oven temperature to 175 degrees.) Turn off heat and let meringue cool in oven at least 2 1/2 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine rhubarb, water, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, remaining tablespoon lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Bake until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes, spooning juices over halfway through.
• Carefully transfer rhubarb pieces (they will be very soft) to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet with a spatula; reserve juices. Let cool completely.
• Just before serving, beat together cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Place meringue on a serving platter and fill with whipped cream. Top with rhubarb, and garnish with pistachios. Spoon over pavlova and rhubarb juices, and serve immediately.

PAVLOVA FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)
• Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Place about half of the meringue into the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a disk. Place the remaining meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the edge with kisses. If you have any meringue left over, pipe it into the middle of the disk and smooth it with a rubber spatula. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft inside.
• Using a large metal spatula, carefully transfer the shell to a flat serving plate or cake stand. Fill the center of the shell with the whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and grapes in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the fruit lightly. Spoon the fruit carefully into the middle of the Pavlova and garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.
• Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!
• "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2006. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.
• Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.
• "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2006. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

INDIVIDUAL RHUBARB RIPPLE PAVLOVAS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment. Draw eight circles, 6-8cm in diameter, on the parchment, then flip over. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually whisk in the sugar until thick and glossy, then the cornflour. Pile the meringue in soft swirls onto the marked circles on the baking parchment, then bake on the lowest shelf for 1 hr until crisp on the outside and dry underneath. Cool, then gently peel off the paper. Can be made up to a day in advance, just store in airtight containers.
• Place the rhubarb batons in a large pan along with the sugar, vanilla and about 200ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook very gently until just soft. Discard the vanilla. Remove the rhubarb from the pan, reserving the cooking liquid. Purée half of the fruit with a hand blender or liquidiser, then strain into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve.
• Reduce the rhubarb cooking liquid until thick and syrupy. Leave the rhubarb and syrup to cool. Can be made up to two days ahead and chilled until needed.
• To serve, whip the cream until it just forms peaks. Carefully ripple the rhubarb purée through the cream. Plate each meringue and spoon on some of the rhubarb rippled cream. Top with the remaining batons and spoon some of the rhubarb syrup on top and around the plate.

HAZELNUT PAVLOVA TART WITH VANILLA-SCENTED RHUBARB

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275°F Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and line both the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
• Stir the ground hazelnuts with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the cornstarch and set aside.
• Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, then slowly pour in the remaining 2/3 cup of the sugar while beating and continue to whip the whites until they hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted (the whites will be thick and glossy).
• Fold the hazelnut mixture into the whipped whites, then fold in the vinegar and vanilla. Spoon the meringue into the prepared pan and use your spatula to spread it into a tart shape, spreading the meringue fully up the sides of the pan and an inch in thickness (it will shift a little when it bakes, but ultimately holds its shape).
• Bake for 90 to 120 minutes, until the meringue just starts to turn light brown and fills firm to the touch.
• Cool the meringue for 15 minutes, then gently pop the latch and carefully remove the springform ring. Cool completely and then peel away the parchment paper. If the paper does not peel away easily, return the meringue to the 275F oven (without the springform ring) for 10 ti 15 minutes just to dry a little more.
• Prepare the rhubarb by stirring the fruit with the sugar and the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean in the saucepot, and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally until the rhubarb is tender, about 1 minutes. Stir the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of cold water and stir this into the rhubarb. Return the mixture to a simmer, stirring gently until thickened. Then remove from the heat and chill until ready to assemble.
• Whip the cream until it holds as soft peak, then stir in the sugar and vanilla and chill until ready to assemble.
• The pavlova should be assembled immediately before serving. Carefully place the meringue onto a platter, then dollop the Chantilly cream in the centre and spread gently. Spoon the rhubarb over the cream and serve. Slice and serve as you would a cake or tart.