Aronia Pavlova

Photograph by Douglas Merriam from The Forager’s Pantry by Ellen Zachos, reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.

I always loved when my mother made this dessert—it seemed so fancy. But pavlova is actually dead simple, and it’s the perfect way to showcase almost any fruit. I especially love using aronia berries in a pavlova because their natural tartness contrasts wonderfully with the sweet, crisp meringue and soft whipped cream. .

The meringue can be made several days in advance, thought it should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated. Don’t assemble the pavlova until you’re ready to serve it, because once the whipped cream hits the meringue, the meringue starts to soften, and you want to maintain its satisfying crunch.

What you’ll need to make Aronia Pavlova

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 cups whipped cream
• 3 cups aronia berries
• sugar to taste (for the berries)

WHAt you’ll do to make aronia pavlova

Preheat your oven to 200F. Meringue is baked at a low temperature so it doesn’t brown.

Spray the sides and bottoms of an 8-inch spring form pan with an oil spray that includes flour, like Baker’s Joy.

Beat the egg whites until frothy. Continuing to beat, gradually add the sugar and the salt. Next, add the vinegar and vanilla, beating until the egg whites are stiff.

Sift the cornstarch onto the meringue and fold it in.

Scoop the meringue into the pan and smooth the surface. Make a slight indentation in the center, building up the sides a little.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue in for 1 hour. This is an important step! Letting the meringue cool gradually will keep it from cracking.

While the meringue is baking, heat the aronia fruit in a saucepan until the berries just begin to release their juices. Add a few tablespoons of sugar, stir, and taste. If the fruit is still too tart, add another tablespoon of sugar. You’re not aiming for sweet fruit; the meringue and whipped cream will provide the sweetness in this dessert. But you do want the berries to be sweet enough to be pleasant. Once you have attained this level of perfection, remove the fruit from the heat and let it cool.

When you’re ready to serve your pavlova, spread a layer of whipped cream to cover the meringue and add the sweetened aronia fruit on top, then serve immediately. As my mother wrote on the back of her recipe card: “Delicious.”

This recipe is excerpted from The Forager’s Pantry, by me!

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