Description
These light and airy pavlovas are crisp on the outside and marshmallow-y on the inside. Topped with tart blood orange curd, these make for the ultimate winter dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the blood orange curd:
- 1/2C blood orange juice (about 3 blood oranges)
- 2t Campari
- 1C granulated sugar
- 5 egg yolks (we are using the whites in the pavlova)
- pinch of salt
- 7T unsalted butter
Pavlovas
- 5 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 1/4t cream of tartar
- 2T cold water
- 1 1/4C granulated sugar
- 1t distilled white vinegar
- 1t vanilla extract
- 1T corn starch
- Whipped cream (Store-bought or homemade both work)
Instructions
Make the blood orange curd:
- Whisk together the juice, Campari, sugar, yolks, and salt in a medium, heat-safe bowl.
- Add the butter and set the bowl over a double broiler (on med. heat) to gently heat the mixture.
- Continuously stir the mixture until thickened. You’ll know it’s done when it coats the back of the spoon.
- Take off the heat and set it aside to cool. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, so feel free to make it ahead.
Make the pavlovas:
- Preheat the oven to 275F. Sketch 7, 3.5″ circles on parchment paper (4 on one sheet, 3 on another). Space them about 2″ apart. Flip the two pieces of parchment over, so you can see the marks, but food won’t be touching them and place the paper on two baking sheets.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until medium-stiff peaks form.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly drizzle in the water.
- Gradually add in the sugar. I normally add 1/4C at a time. Once all the sugar is added, turn the speed to high and continue whipping until glossy and stiff peaks are formed.
- Turn off the mixer, and using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the vinegar, vanilla, and corn starch.
- Mound the meringues onto your parchment-lined baking sheets and use a small spatula or spoon (or clean fingers) to gently form mini volcanos. Instead of forming peaks in the middle, scoop out a small divot in the top, forming a thumbprint-like depression. This will form the cavity you put your cream and curd in.
- Pop the pavlovas in the oven for 30 minutes at 275F. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 250F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the pavlovas dry out in there for an hour (doing your best to keep that oven door shut the entire time). After the hour is up, take them out of the oven and gently place them on a wire rack to further cool.
- Once the pavlovas are completely cool, crack the middles, fill them with blood orange curd and top with whipped cream.