Thursday, January 14, 2010

Happy New Year 2010 ~ Pavlova for everyone!

Before I discuss dessert, I want to thank you for stopping by to read my blog.
I wish you a
HAPPY, HEALTHY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

So, now…onto the subject of dessert.
Pavlova with Pastry Cream & Berries

I was introduced to this dessert when I took a baking course in the Fall of 2009.
I never had meringue before and just assumed I wouldn’t like it. Was I ever wrong!

When my teammates and I baked this in class, we had to taste test. I hesitated. But, I had one bite and have been hooked since.

The meringue was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Lots of dimension going on here…the crunchiness from the meringue, the creaminess from the pastry cream and the sweetness of the berries. Divine!

This dessert is heavenly!


What is Pavlova?
Pavlova is a cake of meringue that has a crisp crust and is soft and light inside.

How is Pavlova pronounced?



What is Pastry Cream?
Pastry cream is a dense, rich custard.


The recipes I used can be found in the two books listed below.

Common Meringue recipe can be found in the following book (page 414):
Baking & Pastry
Mastering the Art and Craft
The Culinary Institute of America

Pastry Cream recipe can be found in the following book (page 502):
ON BAKING
A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals
Sarah R. Labensky

However, here are recipes similar to those in the textbooks that I’ve used.

Berry Pavlova recipe

Pastry Cream recipe

Great information and tips on meringues:
helpwithcooking.com

about.com

whatscookingamerica.net

dominosugar.com

Enjoy,
Peace in Baking, Carmen

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Thank You.

~ Carmen Ortiz - blogger (Baking is my Zen)