Triple Citrus Pavlova Food

MIXED BERRY PAVLOVA

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 a 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. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. 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 on the inside.
• Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.
• Sweetened Whipped Cream:
• 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!
• Yield: 1 cup
• Triple Raspberry Sauce:
• 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 a steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.
• Yield: 2 cups

PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a clean, dry bowl until foamy. Add the granulated sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla and continue whipping until stiff, smooth and glossy, about 8 minutes more. On a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit a sheet pan, use a pencil to draw or trace a circle 9-inches in diameter. Line the sheet pan with the parchment, pencil side down (you should still be able to see the circle). Spoon the egg whites into the circle, using the back of the spoon to smooth the top and sides of the disk. Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until the meringue has puffed up and cracked on the top and the surface is lightly browned to the color of cafe au lait, about 45 minutes more. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open, and let the pavlova cool in the oven at least 30 minutes, to room temperature. This ensures a gradual cooling, which protects the delicate meringue.
• Whip the cream and brown sugar together until stiff. Spoon it in the center of the cooled pavlova and spread out to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Arrange the slices of kiwi around the edge. Arrange the slices of strawberry in the middle. To serve, slice into wedges with a serrated knife.

HONEY BUTTERMILK PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff, about 3 minutes. Add the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. The egg whites should look very thick and hold a soft peak. Turn the mixer off and add the buttermilk, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of the honey and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Mix on low just to combine.
• Dollop the egg white mixture onto the center of the prepared baking sheet. Pushing outwards with a small offset spatula, spread the mixture into a circle about 9 inches in diameter. Bake until set and slightly golden, about 1 hour. Cracking on the outside of the pavlova is normal. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing, about 2 hours
• Meanwhile, pour the heavy cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip on high until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Chill until ready to serve.
• Add the mango, pineapple, blueberries and kiwis to a mixing bowl and toss gently to combine.
• Carefully lift the pavlova from the parchment and place on a serving platter. Dollop the whipped cream onto the center. Use a small offset spatula to spread the cream outwards, leaving a slight rim of exposed pavlova on all sides. Top the cream with a mound of fresh fruit. Drizzle the pavlova with the remaining 1 tablespoon honey and serve immediately.

CITRUS PAVLOVA

Steps:

• For the orange curd: In a medium saucepot, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar together until pale yellow and slightly thickened and the whisk leaves lines behind it. Next, whisk in the orange juice and zest. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, just until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds its shape when you drag your finger through it, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter until completely combined. Pour the curd into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. If any of the curd got slightly overcooked, put it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any set egg yolk.
• Cover the curd with plastic wrap pressed directly to the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (The curd will hold well for up to 4 days.)
• For the meringue: Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 300 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Stir together the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl until the cornstarch completely dissolves. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the egg whites are frothy. With the machine running, slowly stream in the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to high and whip the egg whites until you see ribbons left in the meringue by the whip attachment. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and whip a few seconds more, until stiff peaks form and the meringue becomes very glossy.
• Mound the meringue in the middle of the baking mat and spread it into a 10-inch round using a small offset spatula -- the shape needn't be perfect, but make sure to spread the meringue in an even layer.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then drop the oven temperature down to 200 degrees F. Bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes. The meringue is done when the top is set and not tacky to the touch, and when a small offset spatula can be slid underneath and come out clean or with very little meringue attached. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the meringue sit for an additional 30 minutes.
• Remove the meringue from the oven; run a large offset spatula around the circumference to release it from the baking mat. Set a serving platter beside the baking sheet and gently slide the meringue onto the platter. Let sit at room temperature until ready to assemble.
• For the vanilla whipped cream: Combine the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.
• To assemble: Spoon the curd into the center of the meringue and spread it in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread the whipped cream over the curd. Top decoratively with the clementine and grapefruit wheels. Garnish the entire pavlova with the lime zest and serve immediately.

LIGHTER SUMMER PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Cover a large baking sheet with baking parchment and use a pencil to draw a 20cm circle in the middle. Turn the parchment over.
• For the meringue, mix together the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla, and set aside. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until the mixture stands in stiff peaks. Tip in 1 tsp of the caster sugar, beat for a few seconds, then carry on adding and whisking in the caster sugar, 1 tsp at a time - this will give you a thick, glossy mixture. Sift and gently fold in half the icing sugar with a large metal spoon. Add the rest of the icing sugar in the same way, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the reserved cornflour mixture.
• Secure the parchment with some meringue mixture (see tip) if you want. Dollop a couple of big spoonfuls of the mixture into the middle of the circle on the baking parchment, then spread it out gently to make a 15cm circular base, about 1.5cm thick. (At this point you can give the remaining meringue mixture a pink ripple effect, if you like, by briefly swirling some food colouring through it with a knife.)
• Place a large spoonful of meringue on the edge of your meringue base to come out to the edge of the pencil circle. Repeat with 7 more spoonfuls in the same way, creating the raised edging for the pavlova and leaving a wide hollow for the fruit and cream to go in later. Fill any gaps in the edging with a blob of meringue. Bake for 1 hr - if you gently tap the meringue, it should sound crisp. Turn off the oven but leave the meringue inside for 1 hr to cool gradually. Remove, carefully peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Can be made up to three days ahead and stored in an airtight tin, or wrapped in foil.
• When you are ready to serve the pavlova, prepare the filling. Whisk the whipping cream to stiff peaks. Fold in the Greek yogurt, then the crème fraîche and sugar. Scatter half the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries onto the base of the meringue. Cut the passion fruits in half widthways, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and scatter over the berries. Spoon about half of the yogurt mixture on top. Scatter over some of the remaining berries, top this with more spoonfuls of the yogurt mix, then finish off with the rest of the berries. Dust lightly with icing sugar and a scattering of mint leaves, if you like. Serve straight away - if you leave it sitting for too long, the creamy filling and juicy fruits will cause the meringue to start to soften.