Crushed Raspberry and Strawberry Pavlova

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We are still in a bit of an in between produce season, but the weather is warming up and the sun is out so I am craving fresh fruit desserts like it’s my job. I guess it kind of is my job…I love to make desserts like this pavlova because it is fairly low lift and aside from a low, slow bake in the oven for the meringue (which you can make the day before if it’s not too humid where you live) everything comes together in a few minutes.

The tart crushed raspberries provide some nice sauciness here and contrast well with sweet strawberries and the crisp, pillowy meringue. Make sure to use the best strawberries you can find for this dessert, and adjust the sugar to your personal tastes. In NYC we get some really nice organic berries from California but they are $$ so you may just want to bookmark this until they are in season locally where you live. The mini mint leaves are also totally optional, but they do add a nice freshness and beautiful pop of contrasting color.

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Crushed Raspberry and Strawberry Pavlova

Crisp and chewy meringue, pillowy whipped cream, and sweet-tart berries are combined to make this super springy, and fairly simple dessert. Assemble just before serving for the best textural experience as the meringue will weep and melt as it sits.

Meringue

4 large egg whites

1 cup (200g) superfine sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Berries

1 pound of the best strawberries you can find

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

pinch salt

To Serve

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream 

1 tablespoon sugar

mint leaves

To make the meringue: Preheat the oven to 250ºF (130ºC/Gas Mark 1/2). Trace an 8-inch (20cm) circle onto a piece of parchment paper and flip it upside down on a baking sheet.

Stir the cornstarch and sugar together in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a handheld electric mixer in a large bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar mixture about one tablespoon at a time until you have added all of the sugar and the egg whites are stiff and glossy about 7 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and vinegar and mix for 30 more seconds.

Dollop the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edges of the traced circle. Make a shallow indent in the center of the meringue which will hold all of the delicious toppings. Bake the meringue for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the outside looks dry and slightly creamy in color. Turn off the oven and prop the door ajar with a wooden spoon. Let the meringue cool completely in the oven. It should feel firm and crackly when you press it, but will be soft and marshmallowy in the center. When cooled, you should be able to gently peel it off of the parchment paper and place it on a serving platter or cake stand.  

To make the topping: Slice the strawberries in half if they are small, quarters if they are large. Combine the raspberries, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and crush the berries with a fork. Gently stir in the strawberries and let the fruit macerate for a few minutes. Taste and add a bit more sugar if desired, keeping in mind that the meringue will be quite sweet.

Whip the cream and sugar together to soft peaks. Top the cooled meringue with the whipped heavy cream, followed by the berries. Sprinkle mint leaves over the top and serve immediately.

Rhubarb and Honey Panna Cotta

Every Spring I get SO excited for rhubarb, I always push the season a little bit. We don't get rhubarb in NY until about June, and when I saw these cute skinny little stalks at the store the other day I couldn't resist...They were so perfectly pink. 

I got it home and let it sit in my refrigerator. It somehow seemed too precious to use so I'd open the drawer every day just to say hi - happy that it was there, but not sure how I wanted to cook it. In the end, I roasted the rhubarb very simply with just a bit of sugar, vanilla, and lemon until it was soft and yielding but not falling apart - ready to top my morning yogurt or something a little fancier (but still quite simple) like this honey sweetened panna cotta.

Panna cotta has a bad wrap for being boring and rubbery, but a properly set panna cotta is creamy and light, and a totally dreamy base for just about any seasonal fruit. I made this one with a bit of kefir subbed in for the milk but you could use buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with a bit of milk instead. The cultured dairy adds some tanginess that cuts the sweetness of the honey and really nicely compliments the tart rhubarb.The pistachios add a nice pop of color and crunch, but you could sub just about any nut or even a bit of bee pollen if you like.

Both recipes below call for a vanilla bean, but I'll let you in on a little secret - I used the same bean for both recipes. I used it first in the panna cotta, then rinsed it off to roast with the rhubarb, there was plenty of flavor to go around! 

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Honey Panna Cotta

Makes 6

This lightly sweet and tangy panna cotta is the perfect base for any seasonal fruit, but in the early Spring, Roasted Rhubarb is where it’s at. The panna cotta is slightly adapted from the Chamomile Honey Panna Cotta from Sweeter off the Vine, which would also be super delicious with some roasted rhubarb on top. This is a great dinner party dessert that you can definitely make a day ahead. Make both components and store them in the fridge - top each panna cotta with the rhubarb and pistachios just before serving.

1 cup (240ml) kefir or buttermilk

1 (1/4oz/7g) envelope unflavored, powdered gelatin

2 cups (480ml) heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split

1/4 cup (60ml) mild flavored honey I used Blackberry Honey from my pals at Old Blue Raw Honey

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Measure the kefir and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top, but do not stir. Let the gelatin soften until the grains look wet and like they are beginning to dissolve, 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the cream, honey, salt and vanilla bean in a saucepan set over medium heat until just barely simmering. Stir occasionally to dissolve the honey. Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla bean, scraping the seeds into the pot.

Add the milk and gelatin and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Divide the mixture between 6 ramekins or glasses. Cover and chill until set, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. If you are going to leave them overnight, cover each ramekin with plastic wrap.

To unmold the panna cottas, run a thin knife around the top edge of each ramekin to release the sides, and invert it onto a plate. You may have to shake the ramekin gently to get the panna cotta to release onto the plate. Top each panna cotta with a spoonful pf rhubarb and it’s juices and sprinkle of chopped pistachios. Alternately, serve the panna cottas straight from their ramekins with the garnishes on top.

Roasted Rhubarb

1/2 (225g) pound thin rhubarb stalks

1/2 cup (50g) granulated sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 vanilla bean, split

1/2 cup chopped pistachios, to serve

Heat oven to 375ºF.

Slice the rhubarb into 2-3 inch lengths. Toss it in a baking dish with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla bean. Roast until soft and juicy but not falling apart, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool before serving.