Summer’s bounty is on full display in these classic Raspberry Curd Pavlovas. The light sweetness of the meringues contrast with the tart smoothness of the raspberry curd.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably have seen that our little family has packed up into a 30 foot camping trailer and hit the road for 6-8 weeks. We’re hitting so many high points in the good ol’ U.S. of A. Most of them are on the East Coast because these two western-raised adults are looking to see some new sights. And I am SO EXCITED! It’s been about 3 years since we’ve done any large scale traveling, and my wanderlust has been longing for a way to give vent. I think this should scratch the itch nicely, though I have no illusions about traveling with a four and one year old.

We’re planning to take it pretty slowly, with only one or two ridiculously long travel days planned. We’re hoping to really soak up everything we see and do, and take this chance to enjoy each other and a slower pace of life before we officially start school this fall.

There is one thing that makes me a little bit sad about it all. I have this raspberry bush in my backyard, and it’s truly amazing. As someone with an insanely brown thumb ( I mean, I killed mint last year. MINT!), the fact that it has survived and thrived for the past 5 years is, I feel, a bit momentous.

And every year, this raspberry bush gives me pounds of fruit. Last year’s bounty was about 4 1/2. This year’s harvest will probabaly be a bit smaller due to late season pruning, but it’s still looking pretty spectacular. Not that I’ll be able to enjoy much, if any of it. There all ripe right now, as we speak, and I’m not sure what’s going to become of them. The birds are probably having a field day.

But in honor of my far-distant bush, I’ve made some pavlovas with a raspberry curd on top. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, pillowy meringue and tangy, smooth raspberry sauce. A dollop of fluffy whipped cream doesn’t hurt anything either.

What is a Pavlova?

A pavlova is meringue dessert, made by whipping egg whites with sugar until stiff, then slowly baking to dry them out. The result is a light, crunchy exterior with a marshallow-like inside. Traditionally, a pavlova is topped with whipped cream and fruit, and in some cases a curd or fruit sauce. They’re a perfect way to get creative in the kitchen!

Tips for Perfect Pavlovas:

The meringue is whipped in “peak” stages. Soft peak stage is when the meringue is stiff enough to follow the whisk when you pull it straight out of the bowl, but immediately falls over once it detaches from the whisk. Medium peaks leave you with a soft fold in the peak, and stiff peaks will stand straight up. In fact, once you get to stiff peak stage you can turn the bowl over and nothing will fall out. I dare you to try!
Low and slow is the name of the baking game here. You aren’t trying to cook the moisture out of the meringues, but rather slowly dry them to avoid tacky, crumbling meringues.
You can make the raspberry curd ahead of time! The recipe can be found below, or at this link.
Because raspberries have some pectin naturally, the recipe doesn’t require as much egg yolk and butter as a traditional lemon curd. Don’t be tempted to up the amount of either, or it could get a bit gloppy and thick.
It is completely natural for the centers to crack and fall a bit, especially when the fruit is being put on the top. So don’t worry if that happens to you!

How should I store them, and how long will they keep? Do I have to serve the pavlovas with raspberry curd?

They can be made a day or two ahead, but be sure to store them in an air-tight container. Top with creams and fruits just before serving. Of course, I obviously like topping my pavlovas with raspberry curd, some lightly sweetened whipped cream, and a few fresh berries, but you can get as creative as you’d like!

The curd can be made 5-7 days before serving and stored in the fridge.

Pavlovas with Raspberry Curd

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Author: Rebecca Neidhart
Total Time: 4-5 hours
Yield: 8 personal pavlovas 1x

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Description

Summer’s bounty is on full display in these classic Raspberry Curd Pavlovas. The light sweetness of the meringues contrast with the tart smoothness of the raspberry curd.

Ingredients

Scale

4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

For the Raspberry Curd:

2/3 cup raspberry juice (from a 10 oz bag of frozen raspberries)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
8 Tbsp. butter, unsalted

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Instructions

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 300F. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Beat with the whisk attachment on low until they are well combined, then increase the speed to medium-high. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and sprinkle the cornstarch over the top. Fold it in with a rubber spatula, gently shimmying as you lift it through the meringue to prevent it from clumping. Add the vinegar and vanilla, then return it to the mixer stand and beat until it has reached the stiff peaks stage. This means that when you lift the whisk out, the meringue stands up straight and tall off of the end.

Scoop mounds of the meringue onto the parchment lined baking sheets, making eight in all. You can be very precise with the shaping, or simply flatten the scoops a bit and then create a small hollow in the middle. I opted for the latter, but it’s really up to you!

Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 275F and bake for another 15. Turn the oven down again to 250F and bake for 30 minutes. At this point, turn the oven off and allow the pavlovas to cool entirely without opening the door. This will take about 3-4 hours, but you can also just leave them overnight.

To serve, spoon raspberry curd and whipped cream over the top, then garnish with fresh raspberries

For the Curd:

Thaw the frozen raspberries, then press them through a mesh sieve into a bowl. You are trying to remove as much of the juice and pulp while leaving as many of the seeds behind as is possible. You should end up with 2/3 cup of juice.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth, then set them aside. Combine the raspberry and lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a medium sized saucepan, then stir and heat over medium-low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is steaming.

Slowly pour the hot juices into the egg yolk while whisking briskly. Be sure not to add it too quickly, or it will cook the egg yolks and create chunks. Pour it all back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat, then cut the butter into chunks and stir it in until it has all melted. Pour the curd into a clean bowl and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap. Refrigerate until completely cool, then store in an airtight container.

Notes

The meringue is whipped in “peak” stages. Soft peak stage is when the meringue is stiff enough to follow the whisk when you pull it straight out of the bowl, but immediately falls over once it detaches from the whisk. Medium peaks leave you with a soft fold in the peak, and stiff peaks will stand straight up. In fact, once you get to stiff peak stage you can turn the bowl over and nothing will fall out. I dare you to try!
Low and slow is the name of the baking game here. You aren’t trying to cook the moisture out of the meringues, but rather slowly dry them to avoid tacky, crumbling meringues.
You can make the raspberry curd ahead of time! The recipe can be found below, or at this link.
Because raspberries have some pectin naturally, the recipe doesn’t require as much egg yolk and butter as a traditional lemon curd. Don’t be tempted to up the amount of either, or it could get a bit gloppy and thick.
It is completely natural for the centers to crack and fall a bit, especially when the fruit is being put on the top. So don’t worry if that happens to you!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes, + 3-4 hours cooling
Category: Desserts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American