Recipe: When you need a show-stopping dessert, make pistachio Pavlova with cream and berries

Boston Globe

22-07-2025

3. Set the meringue on a platter. Spoon the whipped cream in the center and top with the berries. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped pistachios and garnish with mint leaves.
2. In a chilled mixer bowl, beat the cream and sugar until very soft peaks form. To prevent overwhipping, beat the cream slightly, then remove the bowl from the stand and whisk with a hand whisk until the cream is just soft.
1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and orange rind with your fingers until the sugar is saturated with orange oil.
8. Bake the Pavlova for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn the temperature down to 225 degrees. Continue baking for 70 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and the center feels slightly soft when pressed gently with a finger. Turn the oven off. Leave the meringue inside. Let the meringue cool completely, undisturbed, with the oven door closed, for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight. Assemble just before serving.
7. Mound the meringue into the center of the parchment paper. Shape it into a high oval. With an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon, starting from the center, spread the meringue outward to create a shallow indentation in the center with higher sides. At this point it should be 10 to 12 inches long.
6. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the cornstarch mixture. Mix for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the pistachios.
5. Turn the speed to medium-low. Add the sugar in 2 tablespoon additions with about 15 seconds between each addition. When all the sugar has been added, turn the speed to medium. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Beat for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Dip an index finger into the meringue and rub it between your finger and thumb. If it feels gritty, continue to beat for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until it feels perfectly smooth.
4. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until they form soft peaks.
3. Place the pistachios in a zipper sandwich bag and seal the bag. With rolling pin, tap them gently to break them into small pieces. Set aside 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling on the finished Pavlova.
1. Place a rack on the bottom shelf of the oven. Set the oven at 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. With a pencil, draw or trace a 10-to-12-inch-long oval on the paper and turn it over. (If you have a platter close to that size, you can trace its outline.)
When the summer occasion calls for a show-stopping dessert, you'll hit your target with Pavlova. A favorite dessert in Australia, New Zealand, and the British Isles, this ethereal confection is made from meringue. You beat egg whites and sugar and bake them low and slow until a crisp exterior cloaks a soft marshmallow or chewy texture inside. Because the meringue base is so sweet, the traditional topping is barely sweetened whipped cream and tart fruits. In this version, roasted pistachios are folded into the meringue and the cream is flavored with a little orange rind. To be successful you need to follow a few rules. They're not complicated, they just demand extra attention. Eggs, no matter what the carton says, vary in size. The most accurate way to measure the whites is by volume. You need 1/2 cup. Also, be sure to use superfine sugar, also known as baker's sugar, bar sugar, or caster sugar. If you can't find it, it's easy to make yourself by whirring granulated sugar in a blender (5 seconds) or in a food processor (about 1 minute). To build proper structure so the meringue holds its shape, take extra care to note the mixer speed at various stages. Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites and contributes to increased volume and glossiness. Cornstarch is an additional stabilizer, but also contributes to the texture of a crisp crust with a softer center. Finally, to keep the meringue from cracking or collapsing during baking, don't open the door if you can help it, since sudden subtle changes of temperature during and after baking keep the meringue from holding its structure. Even with all these rules, Pavlova, named for the early 20th-century Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is a forgiving dessert and invites improvised toppings. Grab those local strawberries while they last or add berries or stone fruits as they come into season. A few flourishes like mint or chopped nuts make this an applause-worthy ending to a special meal.
Serves 8
When the summer occasion calls for a show-stopping dessert, you'll hit your target with Pavlova. A favorite dessert in Australia, New Zealand, and the British Isles, this ethereal confection is made from meringue. You beat egg whites and sugar and bake them low and slow until a crisp exterior cloaks a soft marshmallow or chewy texture inside. Because the meringue base is so sweet, the traditional topping is barely sweetened whipped cream and tart fruits. In this version, roasted pistachios are folded into the meringue and the cream is flavored with a little orange rind. To be successful you need to follow a few rules. They're not complicated, they just demand extra attention. Eggs, no matter what the carton says, vary in size. The most accurate way to measure the whites is by volume. You need 1/2 cup. Also, be sure to use superfine sugar, also known as baker's sugar, bar sugar, or caster sugar. If you can't find it, it's easy to make yourself by whirring granulated sugar in a blender (5 seconds) or in a food processor (about 1 minute). To build proper structure so the meringue holds its shape, take extra care to note the mixer speed at various stages. Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites and contributes to increased volume and glossiness. Cornstarch is an additional stabilizer, but also contributes to the texture of a crisp crust with a softer center. Finally, to keep the meringue from cracking or collapsing during baking, don't open the door if you can help it, since sudden subtle changes of temperature during and after baking keep the meringue from holding its structure. Even with all these rules, Pavlova, named for the early 20th-century Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is a forgiving dessert and invites improvised toppings. Grab those local strawberries while they last or add berries or stone fruits as they come into season. A few flourishes like mint or chopped nuts make this an applause-worthy ending to a special meal.
MERINGUE
2 teaspoons cornstarch 1¼ teaspoons distilled white vinegar ½ cup peeled dry-roasted, unsalted pistachio nuts ½ cup eggs whites, at room temperature (from 4 to 5 large eggs) Pinch of salt ½ teaspoon cream of tartar 1¼ cups superfine sugar
1. Place a rack on the bottom shelf of the oven. Set the oven at 300 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. With a pencil, draw or trace a 10-to-12-inch-long oval on the paper and turn it over. (If you have a platter close to that size, you can trace its outline.)
2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and vinegar together.
3. Place the pistachios in a zipper sandwich bag and seal the bag. With rolling pin, tap them gently to break them into small pieces. Set aside 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling on the finished Pavlova.
4. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until they form soft peaks.
5. Turn the speed to medium-low. Add the sugar in 2 tablespoon additions with about 15 seconds between each addition. When all the sugar has been added, turn the speed to medium. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Beat for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Dip an index finger into the meringue and rub it between your finger and thumb. If it feels gritty, continue to beat for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until it feels perfectly smooth.
6. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the cornstarch mixture. Mix for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the pistachios.
7. Mound the meringue into the center of the parchment paper. Shape it into a high oval. With an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon, starting from the center, spread the meringue outward to create a shallow indentation in the center with higher sides. At this point it should be 10 to 12 inches long.
8. Bake the Pavlova for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn the temperature down to 225 degrees. Continue baking for 70 minutes, or until the outside is crisp and the center feels slightly soft when pressed gently with a finger. Turn the oven off. Leave the meringue inside. Let the meringue cool completely, undisturbed, with the oven door closed, for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight. Assemble just before serving.
TOPPING
1 tablespoon superfine sugar 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind 1½ cups heavy cream 5 cups strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries, or a mix of all the fruits Leaves from a few sprigs fresh mint (for garnish)
1. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and orange rind with your fingers until the sugar is saturated with orange oil.
2. In a chilled mixer bowl, beat the cream and sugar until very soft peaks form. To prevent overwhipping, beat the cream slightly, then remove the bowl from the stand and whisk with a hand whisk until the cream is just soft.