Harriet's Naughty Pavlova

This week we headed to the Flathead Valley to say good bye to two of our wonderful friends, Geno and Amanda.  We were excited for our week in the northwest even before we realized-cherry season!  I first attempted berry pavlova upon receipt of  my mother's summer care package of fresh Oregon berries.  Rob, having contemplated my ingredients, now had the perfect debut for his own approach.  Geno's super hip mom, Harriet, hosted us to scrumptious elk enchiladas and other crisp garden fare.  To say the least, we were happy to have brought an "A" game dessert and even more delighted to see Harriet nearly lick the plate clean of chocolate ganache.  Because I regretfully missed the photo opp, we decided to commemorate Harriet's joy here.

Harriet's Naughty Pavlova

Rob's pavlova challenge resulted in an equally delicious and much more decadent dessert.  Which one was better?  Well, I am proud to say we declined this opportunity to indulge the competitive aspect of our personalities and agreed that they were both delicious, each with their own touch.

Erin's Not-So-Naughty-Pavlova
from: http://www.epicurious.com

Erin's Not-So-Naughty Pavlova is pretty much the same as the recipe provided here, except with macerated fresh Oregon berries (blueberries, raspberries, marionberries and cherries) on every layer and no chocolate.  Erin also opted for three thicker layers of meringue which offered a more mallow-like texture and less crunch.

Recipe for Harriet's Naughty Pavlova

For meringue:

• 1 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (3 Tbsp flour, not as good)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 6 egg whites (from large eggs) at room temperature

For berries:

• 2 Pounds fresh, Flathead, cherries

For cream:

• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/3 cup chilled sour cream

For ganache:
1/2 cup whipping cream
6.8 oz sweetened dark chocolate, chopped.

1 tsp vanilla


You will need four 9x9 square pans or four 9" round pans. Cover the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. 


Before making the meringues, make the ganache because it will need to cool. In a double boiler, heat the cream until it begins to simmer.  Add the chocolate and remove from heat. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Cool until pourable, but not hot. You can also cool it longer and use it more like icing/frosting and spread it with a knife.


Pulse superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch (flour) in a food processor until well combined, set aside.  Stir together vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl, set aside.

Preheat oven to 275°F. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add vinegar mixture, then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue into pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan) and smooth tops. 


Bake meringues for about 1 hour until the tops are firm, but the center is still soft.  Cool in oven, with door propped open, for 1 hour. The top may crack while the meringue is cooling.  If the top does not begin to crisp within 45 minutes, turn the temperature up to 300 and check every 10 minutes until the top is crisp, but not cracking. Note: each oven is unique, check the doneness of your meringue at 25 minutes and keep an eye on it until the meringue has a crispy top and is still mallowy inside. . 


Prepare the cream by whipping the sour cream and cream until soft peaks form. Pit the cherries and halve each cherry.


After the meringues have cooled remove them from the pans by running a knife along the edges and inverting the pan.  Be careful, as the meringues will likely crack.  To prepare the pavlova, layer meringue, cream and cherries.  Only put cream and cherries (save 1/4 of the cherries) on the first three layers.  Place the last meringue upside down, to ensure a smooth top.  On the top layer pour the ganache in the middle until it drips down the sides and pile cherry halves on top.  Slice and serve.