Chocolate Pavlova with Winter Fruit
By: Tami Weiser
Published: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 - 12:28pm

Ingredients




Chocolate meringue:
4 large (120 grams) egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (3 grams) cornstarch or tapioca starch
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 ounces 60–70% dark chocolate, ground finely (see Kitchen Tip #2)
Garnishes:
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
6 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups assorted fresh winter fruit, such as blood orange segments, navel orange segments, sliced kiwis, pomegranate seeds, sliced persimmon

Preparation

1 To make the chocolate meringue: 2 Preheat the oven to 225°F convection or 250°F conventional. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. 3 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites, vanilla bean paste, and cream of tartar until soft peaks begin to form. 4 Sift together the sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. With the motor running at low speed, add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time to the egg whites. Add the vinegar and dark chocolate. Whip until fully incorporated and the egg whites hold a stiff peak (the whip attachment will have a sturdy egg white tail when removed). 5 Scoop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape into a 9- to 10-inch circle with a slightly higher edge. Bake until the outside is dry and starting to crack slightly, 1 to 1½ hours. Turn the heat off and leave the meringue in the oven to cool, about 1 hour. 6 To make the whipped cream: 7 Add the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. 8 Whip until the cream holds soft peaks. 9 To assemble: 10 Place the baked meringue onto a serving platter or cake stand. Spread the whipped cream in the center leaving a 2-inch gap around the edge. 11 Arrange the fruit on top and serve immediately.

About

Pavlova is a New Zealand dessert speciality. This chocolate variation is a marshmallow-like meringue filled with a luscious whipped cream and colorful winter fruits. The recipe for the meringue shell required a lot of testing before we made the one we really loved—with plenty of chocolate, a chewy center, and crispy outer shell.