Celebrate Mom with Maple Pavlova Topped with Ice Wine Whipped Cream and Raspberries

Maple Pavlova Topped with Ice Wine Whipped Cream and Raspberries

To all the Mothers and all the special women in your life I wish you all a Happy Mothers Day!!!!! Today is the day when we thank you all and recognize how you have shaped our lives and the person we have become. It is not just a Hallmark holiday but a time to rejoice in all that we hold dear and truly celebrate how important and significant you really are in our lives.

 I just finished speaking with my own mom who lives on the other side of the country with the rest of my family. It always leaves a warm and fuzzy glow whenever I talk to her. I think that Mary over at One Perfect Bite sums it up best when she says, " I have, all my life, had the good fortune to find myself in the company of warm and generous women. Today, my thoughts embrace them all in a haze that glows more golden as it's burnished by time."

I had it in my mind for weeks that I would make Pavlova, a sweet and elegant treat from "down under" for Mother's Day. This morning I cracked 6 eggs, separated the yolks and allowed them to sit out on the counter to come to room temperature. As I was about to whip the egg whites I realized my cupboards were bare...no granulated sugar to be found. Now what would you do? Here at More Than Burnt Toast I have learned that substitution is sometimes warranted. What I did have in my usually well stocked pantry was 1/4 cup of berry sugar and a cup of maple sugar, so, a Canadian-ized version of Pavlova was born!!!! Since this was my first time baking pavlova I crossed my fingers and toes and hoped for the best!!!

Well, I am happy to say these little beauties turned out well, maintaining their pillowy, marshmallow like centre. They should be eaten soon after they are allowed to cool. At first they turn a little soft but when left to their own devices turn out just as tyhey should.  With a maple flavoured meringue my original plan to top my pavlovas with lemon curd that I made from the resulting 6 egg yolks seemed off.  I now had a Canadian maple flavoured meringue base so I decided to mix a little Canadian Icewine into the whipped cream and topped it all with tart raspberries. A match made in heaven!!!! Add a little shaved chocolate on top if you have it!!!!

Pavlova is a meringue cake that has a light and delicate crisp crust on the outside and a soft sweet marshmallow center. It is named in honour of  the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who toured both New Zealand and Australia in 1926. These lovely edible cumulus clouds, are one of the best low fat vehicles for seasonal fruit, whipped cream, sorbet, and ice cream.  Because of the sweetness of the meringue I imagined it would be nice to offset the sweetness with tart flavoured fruits such as passion fruit, kiwi, blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Just some of my personal favorites.

To achieve the sweet, crunchy, and meltingly soft, perfect pavlova it is necessary to understand your egg whites. An egg white is pure protein. Since we need just the whites of the eggs, the eggs will need to be separated. I have found it is easier to do this while the eggs are still cold. I like to use my hands so that the egg white will drip through my fingers and into the bowl that way I can catch any yolks before they hit the bowl which may happen if your eggs are older and their membranes thinner.  Once separated, cover the egg whites and let them come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes). When room temperature to begin with, egg whites will grow bigger and stronger with whipping. Cover and refrigerate the egg yolks for another use. I made lemon curd which will have to be used for something else.

It is also important when making any meringue that the egg whites reach maximum volume, so make sure your mixing bowl and whisk are clean and free of random oils. It's best to start whipping egg whites on a lower speed, increasing the speed gradually as you reach the desired consistency.

The recipe asks you to use superfine sugar (berry or castor sugar) when making this meringue because it dissolves more quickly into the egg whites than regular granulated white sugar. You can easily make your own by processing 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar in your food processor until very fine, about 30 to 60 seconds.

Bake your meringues and place the whipped cream and fruit on the meringue shortly before serving because the Pavlova will immediately start to soften and break down from the moisture of the cream and fruit. Perhaps it is the maple sugar but these treats should be served the same day. Sprinkle with some shaved or grated chocolate if you have it on hand.

Happy Mothers Day Mom!!!!!

These will make an impression on mom!!! Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful moms!!!

Maple Pavlova with Ice Wine Whipped Cream and Raspberries

Meringue:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1- 1/4 cups (270 g) fine berry sugar (or 1 cup maple sugar and 1/4 cup berry sugar or combination)
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch salt
• Ice Wine Whipped Cream (recipe below)
• 2 pints fresh or frozen berries
• Shaved chocolate

(Ahead of time divide the egg whites from the yolks. Save the yolks for a later use, such as Citrus Curd or another favorite recipe that requires egg yolks. Bring the egg whites to room temperature for 30 minutes before beginning the recipe).

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Pour the vanilla and vinegar into a small cup. In a separate bowl stir the cornstarch into the sugar and set aside.

3. In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until egg whites have reached the soft stage, and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Increase speed to medium-high, slowly and gradually sprinkling in the sugar-cornstarch mixture on teaspoon at a time. This allows the sugar to dissolve into the meringue. Rub a little between your fingers. If the sugar is not dissolved it will feel gritty. A few minutes after the dry ingredients are added, slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar. Increase speed a bit and whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes.

5.  Pipe or spoon the meringue into 8-10 large round mounds that are 3 inches wide on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon liner. With the back of a spoon, create an indentation in the middle of the mound to act as a dish to hold the whipped cream and berries.

6. Place baking sheet in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp, dry to the touch on the outside, and white (off white if you have used maple sugar), not tan-colored or cracked. The interiors should have a marshmallow-like consistency. Check on meringues at least once during the baking time. If they appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and turn pan around. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue inside until completely cold (you can make this the day before and leave to cool overnight).

7. Carefully peel off the baking parchment and put the pavlova on a serving dish. Don't worry if it cracks. Will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, or individually wrapped, for up to a week if your house is not humid.

8. Served topped with ice wine whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Makes 8-10 pavlovas.

 Iced Wine Whipped Cream

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 oz. BC ice wine or Late Harvest Riesling
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar, or to taste
• 1 - 2 teaspoons powdered milk (if making ahead)

1. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix in the ice wine and icing sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.  Store in the fridge until needed.

A trick I have learned is to add 1 - 2 teaspoons of powdered milk to your whipped cream to stabilize it. It will last for days and not weep or separate.

Happy Mothers Day!!!

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