Pear and Chocolate Pavlova
Love Meringue? Gorgeous Whipped Cream? Chocolate????? Then this one’s for you …
Pear and Chocolate Pavlova!
I use to be scared of making Meringue! But then I just decided it was time to get over that hurdle in my life and face my fear. So I learned to make Meringues and guess what, it’s nothing to be scared of!!!
It’s so much easier than ever I thought it would be and the taste is sweet and crunchy and I really love it! (I’m still working on enjoying the fluffy Meringue that goes on pies, I usually take that layer off and pass it over to my mom … lol).
For now I’ll stick to the crunchy, sweet and delicious Meringues that make a beautiful dessert on it’s own or as a base for more tasty bits of fruit, chocolate or nuts and of course CREAM!
Pavlova is a dessert that started Down Under in the 1920’s. Apparently after the ballet dancer Anna Pavlova toured Australia and New Zealand, this dessert was created in her honor.
Did I mention that there’s fluffy, sweet CREAM involved?!?
Try pimping it up a bit with whatever seasonal fresh fruits you have on hand. In this recipe I’m going with canned (yes, indeed I am) Pears … it’s called a time saver shortcut and something that you can always have on hand in case you are unable to find quality fresh fruit.
Prepare yourself, it’s a delectable dessert that is easy to make and impressive to your dinner guest. You can also make the Meringue base up to 2 days in advance as long as you keep it in an airtight container. So for those of you that love time savers, and who doesn’t these days, you have OPTIONS – You can do this!
Ready to impress? Give this Pear and Chocolate Pavlova a go and ENJOY!
Pear and Chocolate Pavlova
Crunchy, sweet and loaded with yumminess, Pear and Chocolate Pavlova!
Ingredients
- 4 Egg Whites
- 1 1/4 cup Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 1/3 cup sliced Almonds,
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Pear Halves, drained and syrup reserved
- 1 cup (8 oz) Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 oz Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 Vanilla Bean, split and seeds removed and reserved
- Zest of 1/2 Orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a very clean and dry bowl, whisk your egg whites with mixer until stiff peaks start to form.
- Slowly start adding the Sugar and Salt and continue to whisk for another 5 - 8 minutes until you have a glossy mixture with firm peaks. If you pinch a bit of the mixture between your fingers and it still feels grainy, then continue to mix for another couple of minutes until it feels smooth.
- On a prepared parchment lined baking sheet, spoon out Meringue mixture and spread around to be about 2 - 3 inches thick. Using the back of the spoon or rubber spatula, "swirl" the top to give it some peaks.
- Bake in the preheated 300F oven and bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour. The outside will crack and the inside will be sticky and slightly soft.
- Remove from oven and cool.
- In a small saucepan, melt the Chocolate with the reserved pear syrup and 1 teaspoon ground ginger until smooth and glossy. Let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the Whipping Cream, Vanilla seeds and sifted Powdered Sugar together until soft peaks form. Do not over mix or you will end up with something more like butter.
- In a dry skillet, warm the Almond slivers. Set Aside.
- Cut the Pear Halves into 3 - 4 slices per half.
Assemble:
- Place the cool Meringue on your serving plate and top with half the Whipped Cream and half the Chocolate.
- Add the pears and top off with the Almond slivers and the remaining Whipped Cream and Chocolate. Grate over the Orange Zest.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Tips: The Meringue base can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in a dry place, covered. (I kept mine in an airtight container at room temperature). Try to assemble within 2 hours or less of your serving time for best results.
Note: Use any fresh berries or fruit in season instead of the Pears and try other types of nuts for a completely new dessert.
Stacey is a Southern girl with a taste for travel, thriving on the discovery of the world through food. After spending many years traveling and living overseas, she’s now back home in her beloved deep south enjoying life with her three little ones and loving the adventure. She’s a food stylist and food photographer, as well as, the creative behind Little Figgy Food, where she loves to inspire others to try new flavors and foodie techniques.