Chocolate Pavlova With Tangerine Whipped Cream               

 tags (edit): @Vogel @Tried Desserts  

 

Pavlova, a cloudlike meringue cake filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit, was one of the many lost-and-found recipes we came across this year. And as with any resurrected classic, pavlova comes in many shapes and flavors. This meringue doesn't rise as high as a plain meringue because of the cocoa powder, but it comes out of the oven with light, crackly sides and a soft, marshmallowy, almost brownie-like center. Once baked, the meringue can be kept for a day at room temperature if you live in a dry climate. If the humidity is high, it's best served soon after cooling. Originally from FINE COOKING magazine, by Gale Gand.

Ingredients

4 ea large Egg Whites At Room Temperature
1/8 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar
1/8 teaspoon Salt Fine Grained
1 cup Sugar *PLUS*
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened Dutch-Process. Sifted
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 ea Tangerine Zest Finely Grated About 1 1/4 Teaspoons
1 1/2 cups Fresh Fruit Raspberries Strawberries Mango Or Mix
3 ea Kiwi Fruit Peeled And Sliced Into Halves
 

Instructions
 1. Adjust the rack to the middle and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut a piece of parchment paper so that it fits on a baking sheet. With a pencil, draw a 9-inch circle in the center of the parchment (tracing a 9-inch pan works fine). Place the parchment pencil-side-down (you should still be able to see the circle) on the baking sheet.

3. With a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer (use the whisk attachment), whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, dry bowl on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and then the cornstarch and vinegar. Whip on medium-high speed until the whites hold stiff peaks and look glossy, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed until mostly combined, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. Finish mixing the cocoa into the meringue by hand with a rubber spatula until well-combined and no streaks of white remain.

5. Pile the meringue inside the circle on the parchment. Using the spatula, spread the meringue to even it out slightly -- it doesn't need to align perfectly with the circle, and it shouldn't be perfectly smooth or overworked. Natural swirls and ridges give it character.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until the meringue puffs and cracks around the edge, 45 to 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open, and leave the meringue inside to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. (The meringue won't collapse as much if it cools gradually.)

7. Just before serving, put the meringue on a serving plate. In a chilled, medium stainless-steel bowl, beat the cream with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until it holds soft peaks. Whip in the tengerine zest, making sure it's evenly distributed. Pile the whipped cream on the meringue, spreading it almost out to the edge, and top with the fruit. Slice into wedges with a serrated knife and serve.


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Yields: 8 Servings
     BEST AMERICAN RECIPES 2004 page 248

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