Blueberry Mint Pavlova
The first pavlova I ever had was on my honeymoon. We were at one of José Avillez many restaurants in Lisbon and there was this pavlova on the menu with fresh cream and berries, and a berry compote. We thought that sounded delicious and I admitted to my wife that I’ve never had a pavlova before so she made the executive decision right then and there. I understand people all over the world enjoy pavlova but this was very new to me and it was unlike anything I’ve ever had. It was crumbly but melted away as you bit into it. And the cream and berry compote was the perfect combination. So here I am paying homage to my firs pavlova and to hopefully another trip to Lisbon.
Serves: 4
Time: 2.5 hours
Ingredients
4 Egg Whites
1.5 cup Sugar
Juice of Half a Lemon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tsp Cornstarch
2 cup Blueberries
Whipped Cream (Garnish)
Fresh Mint (Garnish)
Powdered Sugar (Garnish)
Instructions
Crack 4 eggs separating the yolks from the whites. Take the whites and whip at a low speed until it becomes foamy. Then slowly add 1 cup of sugar while whipping the egg whites until you have soft peaks.
Add the juice of half a lemon and whip until glossy. Add the vanilla extract and cornstarch and whip until you have stiff peaks.
Place scoops of the meringue on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Shape them into circles as best you can with a small bowl on top. Place in a 250F degree oven for 90 minutes. Then turn the oven off and keep them in the oven to dry for another 30-45 minutes.
Take the blueberries and add to a hot skillet with a half cup of sugar. Cook down on medium low heat until the juices release and is at a light simmer. Keep it there for a few minutes stirring often. Then remove from the heat and set aside.
Finally spoon the blueberry sauce into the bowl of the pavlova. Top with whipped cream, fresh mint, and powdered sugar.
