Thought for Food

June 3, 2010

Dublin summers, all too brief but each day gloriously long (they’re much farther north than we are), gave me a deep and abiding love for pavlovas: meringue cakes topped with whipped cream and seasonal fruit.

Recipe adapted from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors via Farmhouse Table:

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

4 egg whites, room temperature

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. blackberries

3 small peaches

sugar for sprinkling fruit

1/2 c. cream

1/2 c. creme fraiche

2 Tbs. honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 300. Mix 1 Tbs. of sugar with cornstarch and set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the sugar a little at a time until thick and glossy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture, then fold in vinegar and vanilla. Make six mounds of meringue on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a large spoon, create a nest or bowl shape in each meringue. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let them sit until cool. Gently pry them off the paper and place on serving platter. Gently wash berries and peaches. Slice peaches and place in a bowl, then sprinkle with sugar. Toss berries in carefully. Whip cream and creme fraiche with honey and vanilla until it holds soft peaks. Fill each meringue with whipped cream and top with fruit. Serve right away.