Christmas Pavlova Wreath

Ingredients

Meringue:
4-5 (130g) large egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Lemon Curd:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 (150g) large eggs
3 (60g) large egg yolks
2/3 cup (162g) Meyer lemon juice, about 4 lemons
3 tablespoons (42g) cold unsalted butter, cubed

Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups (340g) cold heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decorations:
12 oz (340g) fresh raspberries
1/2 cup (83g) pomegranate arils
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Fresh mint for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°F standard. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Fit a 12-16″ piping bag with a 1″ round piping tip. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites, lemon juice and salt. Beat on medium-high until foamy, and little bubbles form across the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. 

In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch, breaking up any lumps. Gradually add to the mixer, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding more. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to high and beat until stiff and glossy, about 5-7 minutes. 

Fill the piping bag with the meringue. Pipe 8 rounds, almost touching, into the shape of a ring, on the prepared baking sheet. Use the back of a small spoon to gently form a depression in the middle of each mound. 

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue for at least 1 hour, so it can cool down slowly and prevent cracking. Remove from the oven and make sure it’s cooled to room temperature before assembling. The meringue can be stored, unfilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

For the lemon curd:
In medium bowl, add the sugar, zest and salt. Rub the zest into the sugar to infuse with lemon flavor. Add the eggs and yolks and whisk till the sugar is dissolved. Add lemon juice and whisk to incorporate. Pour into heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches 175°F. Then whisk for a 2-3 minutes till it thickens a bit more. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, into a bowl. Add a couple of cubes of butter at a time and whisk till fully melted. Set the bowl of lemon curd over an ice bath to cool to room temperature.

To assemble:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, gradually increasing the speed, until it reaches medium-stiff peaks. Set aside.

Add a spoonful of lemon curd into each meringue well. Dollop a mound of sweetened cream on top. Then garnish with the raspberries, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Dusting the pavlova with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

I was inspired to make my own mince pies after eating them in London. From what I’ve researched, bakeries will often prepare the mincemeat filling months, sometimes years ahead, to really develop the flavor. While I’d love to try that one day, I decided to shortcut for my first bake, and bought a jar from a gourmet shop while in London.

I love browning butter for baked goods, but find many recipes will call for that step and the results don’t truly highlight the nutty flavor that well. I find it best showcased in a shortbread cookie, where there are not a lot of competing ingredients, just a bit of vanilla to enhance the overall sweetness. This is a sandy, crisp shortbread, which gets a bit of crumbly texture from the added rice flour. I prefer this over using cornstarch which leans more chalky to me. Also note, the brown butter gives the cookies a darker appearance because of the caramelization. My sister said they look like Biscoff. 🙂