Blueberry Bublanina
By: lucrece
Published: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 9:03pm

Ingredients




Bublanina:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs divided, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup all-purpose flour
Blueberry Sauce
1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and stemmed
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
The Pavlova:
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup of Castor sugar
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
Fresh kiwis, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and stemmed

Preparation

1 Prepare the Bublanina: Oven: 350F. 2 Grease a 9 x 9 in baking pan. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and yolks until light and fluffy. 3 Add liqueur, orange zest and salt, mixing well. 4 In a clean medium bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Alternately fold in egg whites and flour into butter-egg mixture. 5 Turn batter into prepared pan and scatter blueberries evenly over top. Press down into batter with a spatula. 6 Bake ~35 min or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. 7 Prepare the Pavlova: 8 Oven: 275F. Line a baking tray with foil and draw a 7 inch circle on the foil (don't tear the foil). Set aside. 9 In a clean, medium-sized metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the whites form soft peaks. Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, until your egg whites form glossy stiff peaks. 10 Sprinkle the cornstarch and vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently with a plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again. 11 Now gently spread the meringue in the circle on the foil to make a circular base. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher then the center so you have a very slight well in the middle. 12 Bake the meringue ~1 hr until it goes a very pale, pinkish color. 13 Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringue cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly. 14 Blueberry Sauce: 15 Reduce berries in a saucepan until sauce is desired consistency. 16 To assemble the Dances with Bublanina: 17 Arrange the Bublanina on a cake plate and top with the meringue. 18 Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it forms peaks and gently spread the cream to the top of the meringue with a spatula. Arrange kiwis on top and drizzle blueberry sauce to serve.

About


http://worldcupfoodchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/06/day-5-new-zealand-vs-slovakia-cote.html
The Pavlova is said to have originated in the 1920's during one of the dancer's visits to New Zealand. More than just a meringue, the Pavlova is low baked, leaving a soft inner texture and traditional decoration with exotic fruits such as passionfruit and kiwi. In honor of its origins, we've decided to go with kiwis. This gorgeous meringue and whipped cream fruit tower named after the famed Russian ballerina has somehow fallen off our culinary radar.
In order to create a Slovak element to our Pavlova, we've served it atop a traditional Slovakian pastry colorfully named "Bubbly cake." Slovakia seems to have taken the spicier, tastier end of the Czech republic split in the culinary department and offers some tantalizing dishes. I hope to revisit the Country later on in the tournament. Their desserts are typically built around some sort of pancake or coffee cake and topped with a fruit sauce such as blueberries. The name, "Bublanina" dervies from its bubbling batter during baking. Yes, Bublanina's batter bubbles during baking - say it three times fast!
We've adapted the recipe to include less sugar so as to better compliment the Pavlova topping and left the blueberry sauce for final serving atop the meringue. Also, TX blueberries are in season.