This elegant, yet simple dessert is light and airy and perfect for summer! Balance out the pavlova’s sweetness with a bit of blueberry sauce spiked with brandy.
One of my favorite courses in college was food science. I loved that we got to spend lab time cooking and learning why cookies brown when baking or how soufflés hold their structure. Making the meringue for this pavlova recipe took me back to those college days.
Several blogs I read have published delicious recipes and gorgeous photos of this meringue based dessert. It seemed like the perfect dessert for a summer – light, airy, and doused in seasonal fruit. This boozy berry sauce was the perfect topping. The little bit of brandy in the berry sauce really balanced out the sweetness of the meringue.
Don’t be intimidated by this recipe. I was totally nervous about making a meringue but it was actually much easier than I thought. Nothing to be scared about. 🙂 I used this pavlova recipe I found on The Kitchn for my pavlova and it turned out great the first time around.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Vegan Peach Berry Crisp
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
- Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt
- Vegan Lemon Loaf
Pavlova with Boozy Berry Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons brandy
Instructions
- Separate egg whites from 4 eggs into a bowl. Let the whites sit out until they are room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Use a glass to trace 6 three inch circles onto the parchment paper. Flip the paper over so the side you drew on is facing the cookie sheet. (So you don’t get marker/pen on your pavlova.)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. In another small bowl, combine the vanilla and vinegar.
- In a clean mixing bowl, whip egg whites until they reach soft peak stage. Begin adding the sugar/cornstarch mixture a couple tablespoons at a time. Keep whipping until you have added all of the sugar. (The peaks should begin to stiffen.)
- Sprinkle the vinegar/vanilla mixture over the eggs. Whip until combined and eggs look shiny with stiff peaks.
- Use a spatula or large spoon to scoop the meringue into the circles made on the cookie sheet. Spread meringue up the edges of the circles, smoothing out any small peaks. Make a slight depression in the meringue in the center of each circle (for filling later).
- Place meringues in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until meringues sound hollow when tapped.
- Leave the meringues in the oven but turn off the heat and leave the oven door ajar. Let meringues cool completely in the oven.
- To make the sauce, heat the blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. After about 5 minutes, the berries should begin to break down and form a sauce. Use a potato masher to break apart the berries even more. Once a thick sauce is formed turn off heat and stir in the brandy. Set aside to cool.
- To assemble the pavlova, top each meringue with a 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries and pour cooled sauce over top.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
These. are. beautiful.
I only think of pavlovas for springtime for some reason. This is a perfect excuse to enjoy during the summer and way to use up excess blueberries. YUM!
yum, these look divine. i love a good pavlova.. definitely will be recreating this in my kitchen! delicious.
Debbie, those photos are gorgeous! They make me want to “try” to make this recipe. I have to admit, they do seem a little intimidating. I’ll have to take your word for it that they aren’t as hard as they seem 🙂
I love everything about this dish from the name to the ingredients. And the photos are stunning!
Thanks Deanna!
Yum! I’ve never made a pavlova before but looks delicious! Will have to try it!
I’ve been wanting to make pavlova ever since spending time in Australia. You give me confidence…and your photos are beautiful!
I’m jealous you got to spend time in Australia! Did you have any pavlova when you were there? 🙂
another great recipe redux recipe!! I always love your photos!!!
The second I saw this on Instagram was the second I knew I NEEDED the recipe.
And food science was one of my favorite classes too!! In fact, I still pull out my Food Science text book… and it just happens to be sitting next to me right now 😉
Yay! I’m glad I am not the only nerd that loved Food Science. 🙂
Looks insanely delicious! I love meringue cookies and have been wanting to try out making a pavlova recipe myself. I LOVE the blueberry boozy sauce though, mmmmm.
xoxo Sarah Grace, Fresh Fit N Healthy.
I just took a food science course last fall and loved it as well. Brandy with any dessert is amazing, good choice.
It’s true! Now I have a bottle of it, I think I’ll be making a few more brandy based desserts. 😉 So good!!!
Pavlovas/schaum tortes are one of my favorite desserts! Made them for a dinner party last week.
I love the addition of brandy in the sauce. I’ve used it in a savory pan sauce before, but hadn’t made the “leap” to a sweet sauce. Beautiful photos. The pavlova looks like a cloud 🙂
It tastes like a cloud too! 🙂
perfection! every bit.
Aww… thanks, Gretchen!
This sounds wonderful! I love the addition of brandy!
Blueberries, brandy, and pavlova! Doesn’t get much better! Love your take on it.
Beautiful photos! Love the addition of brandy to your berry sauce.