Going Formal

I love pavlova because it was my daughter’s favorite childhood dessert. I had been introduced to this Australian national treasure--a crisp, chewy meringue piled high with fruit and whipped cream--by a friend from Down Under. The snowy leaps and dips of the light-as-air meringue evoked the grace and tulle of its namesake, Anna Pavlova, famed ballerina of the early 20th century. Perhaps in a secret wish to transmit a dancer’s poise to my child, I made the dessert for her second birthday. She called it “pavala-volvo,” her point of reference being our station wagon, not the Russian ballet star.

Maybe it was a child’s affinity for marshmallows that captured her fancy. For pavlova is distinguished from other meringues, such as the French Vacherin and the German schaum torte, by its soft center, produced by the addition of a bit of vinegar and cornstarch. Debate has raged for years between Australia and New Zealand over who can claim authorship of the retro classic, which enjoys the same national status as our apple pie. Everyone agrees it evolved from traditional meringue, perfected in early 18th century Mehrinyghen, Switzerland. But at the 1996 Oxford Symposium, anthropology professor Helen Leach ended the trans-Tasman struggle by proving that New Zealand “pavlova cakes” predated Australian versions.

Regardless of who invented it, when I want a showy but effortless dessert, I make a pavlova. There are several variations, including pavlovas baked in a springform pan, all of which can be made ahead. I like an easy two-egg recipe that avoids the tedium of adding sugar one tablespoon at a time. Just place all ingredients in the bowl (boiling water helps dissolve the sugar), beat to glossy peaks, and swirl the mixture with a spoon into a free-form round or heart shape. Voila! Two egg whites whip up to a 10-inch circle.

Over the years, I’ve crowned pavlovas with tangy lemon curd or dark chocolate mousse, perfect foils for the shell’s sweetness, then raspberries and blueberries, whipped cream and a showy finish of raspberry or chocolate sauce. I’ve filled pavlovas with sliced kiwis, chopped pineapple, or in a play on peach melba, raspberry sorbet, fresh peaches and cream. On diet days, I skipped the cream. Like a basic black dress, the possibilities are endless.

Last summer, when my daughter got married. I thought back often to her childhood and my friends with whom I’d shared so many parenting experiences. We’d always found time to work together on parties and school projects whose deeper nature was mutual support through the milestones of parenthood. So I invited my friends over the week before the wedding for a gardening party to help me pot flowering herbs and small citrus trees to use as wedding centerpieces and aisle decorations.

After a morning of digging in the dirt and enjoying the fragrance of rosemary, thyme and citrus unleashed by summer warmth, we gathered around my patio table for lunch. I wanted the occasion to be a special thank-you--refreshing, ladylike and stress-free. Naturally, I served pavlova for dessert.

Pavlova

Serves 10-12

Meringue

2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups superfine granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon vinegar or strained lemon juice

4 teaspoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons boiling water

Filling

1 quart fresh fruit such as berries, sliced peaches, kiwis, diced pineapple

1/2 cup sugar, optional

1 pint sorbet or ice cream

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side down.

Place all meringue ingredients in bowl of electric mixer and beat on high speed until mixture is very stiff and glossy (7 to 10 minutes).

Working quickly, spread mixture with a spatula onto prepared baking sheet into circle, oval, or heart shape, approximately 10 inches in diameter, swirling edges of meringue into free-form peaks and creating a “valley” in the center.

Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then reduce heat to 250 degrees. If using electric oven, bake 45 minutes longer, if a gas oven, 1 hour. Allow pavlova to cool in oven with door ajar. Peel foil off bottom of pavlova. Pavlova shell may be stored in airtight container 2 weeks.

One hour before serving, sprinkle fruit with sugar, if desired, and allow to macerate. Whip cream and slightly soften sorbet or ice cream. Fill pavlova with scoops or slices of sorbet or ice cream, top with fruit and juices that have collected. Spoon whipped cream over fruit and serve immediately.

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Amelia Saltsman last wrote about cookies for the magazine.