Bourbon-Soaked Cherry Pavlova

mikaela | wyldflour

4 large individual pavlovas

Bourbon-Soaked Cherry Pavlova

Pavlova is an easy showstopper dessert! Crunchy meringue with a soft chewy interior, topped with whipped cream and bourbon-soaked cherries!

30 minPrep Time

3 hrCook Time

3 hr, 30 Total Time

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Ingredients

Meringues:
• 3 large egg whites
• 175 grams white granulated sugar (*see notes for cup measurement)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar + 1 more teaspoon for wiping the bowl
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Whipped Cream:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bourbon-Soaked Cherries:
• 1 lb cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-inch strip of orange peel
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon cold water
• 1 cup bourbon
Optional: icing (confectioner's) sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Get the cherries soaking! De-stem and pit all of the cherries into a medium bowl. Measure the water, honey, orange peel, and vanilla into a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and continue simmering for ten minutes. Remove from heat and carefully remove the orange peel. Stir in the bourbon and pour over the cherries. Place in the refrigerator and soak for at least a few hours. (Which is perfect, since the meringues will take a few hours.)
2. Make the meringues! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also trace the shapes you want your meringues to be, but I always just guesstimate. Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar in a medium or large mixing bowl. (The one you're going to whip the meringue in.) Use a paper towel to rub the vinegar around the bowl and wipe down the sides of the bowl. This removes any fat deposits that might have been left in the bowl, which would prevent the egg whites from stiffening. Wipe bowl dry.
4. Measure out the sugar and pulse in a food processor until finer than granulated sugar, but not as fine as icing sugar. This helps the sugar dissolve more quickly. (You're essentially making caster sugar.) Set aside.
5. Measure out egg whites into the mixing bowl. There must be NO egg yolk in the bowl. Use an electric whisk or beaters to whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Gradually add the sugar a little at a time, mixing on maximum speed until the mixture is stiff and glossy.
6. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar and the cornstarch until completely dissolved. Use a spatula to fold the mixture into the meringue, taking care to knock as little air out as possible.
7. Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. I usually do four large circles, but you could adapt this to your needs. I like to make a mound and swirl the meringue in a circular manner. Use a spoon to swirl a small dip in the mound of meringue where your fruit will go later. Careful not to dip too low or the meringue won't have enough structure to it and the middle will collapse. Leave at least several inches between the meringues--they will puff up!
8. Place the meringues in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 280 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the meringues for 50-55 minutes, watching to make sure they don't start to brown. (Do not open the oven at all until you are at least 45 minutes in; then you can check on them.) When they are done, turn the oven off and leave the meringues inside the oven for two hours to cool and dry. If they cool too quickly or are exposed to humidity (for example, in a refrigerator), they may crack and/or collapse.
9. Once cooled/dried, wrap the meringues in plastic wrap and leave out on the counter top. These can be made in advance and stored up to several days, depending on how humid/dry your climate is.
10. Whip the cream! Chill a large bowl and your beaters in the freezer for a few minutes while you measure out the cream and sugar. Remove the bowl from the freezer and add cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on maximum speed until peaks form. Be patient--this can take a little while but it will get there. This can be made ahead of time the same day and refrigerated, but it will lose a little bit of its oomph (or structure). I prefer to make it immediately beforehand if I can.
11. Assemble the pavlova! Spread a layer of whipped cream across each meringue to act as a barrier between the meringue and the fruit. (If the meringue soaks up the fruit juice, it may collapse! Which is perfectly okay and tasty--just not as pretty for serving!) Drain the bourbon-soaked cherries and spoon some onto each cream-topped meringue and dust with powdered sugar. Serve!
12. Note: If you have leftovers, store each of the pavlova parts separately--i.e., meringues on the counter, cherries and whipped cream in the refrigerator.

Notes