6 people
DESSERT
Ina Garten At Home (p. 173)
Strawberries - 1⁄2 pint
Blueberries - 1⁄2 pint
Raspberries - 1 pint
Eggs (whites) - 4
Heavy cream - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 3⁄4 cup
Raspberry jam - 12 oz
Cornstarch - 2 tsp
White wine vinegar - 1 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 1⁄2 tsp
Framboise liqueur - 1 tbl
Heavy cream - keep very cold
Strawberries - hull and slice
Eggs - separate yolks from whites, bring to room temperature
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper using a plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side - this way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.
Place the egg whites and pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add 1 cup of sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and 1⁄2 tsp vanilla and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1⁄2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven for another 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft inside.
Make the raspberry sauce. Place 1⁄2 pint of raspberries, 1⁄2 cup of sugar, 1⁄2 cup of water in a small suacepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and the liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or blender) and process until smooth. Chill until ready to use.
Make the sweetened whipped cream. Whip 1 cup of cold heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add 1 tbl of sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract and continue to beat until firm but do not overbeat. Chill until ready to use.
When the meringue is ready, invert the disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with the sweetend whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and 1⁄2 pint of raspberries in a bowl and toss with 1⁄2 cup of the raspberry sauce. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra rapsberry sauce.