Best Pavlova Fruit Tart Recipes

EASY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add in the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
• Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.
• Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. Remove the paper, and place meringue on a flat serving plate. Fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream, and top with kiwifruit slices.

MIXED BERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Draw a 9-inch circle on the paper, using a 9-inch plate as a guide, then turn the paper over so the circle is on the reverse side. (This way you won't get a pencil mark on the meringue.)
• Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the cornstarch onto the beaten egg whites, add the vinegar and vanilla, and fold in lightly with a rubber spatula. Pile the meringue into the middle of the circle on the parchment paper and smooth it within the circle, making a rough disk. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
• Invert the meringue disk onto a plate and spread the top completely with sweetened whipped cream. Combine the strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in a bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup of raspberry sauce, or enough to coat the berries lightly. Spoon the berries carefully into the middle of the Pavlova, leaving a border of cream and meringue. Serve immediately in large scoops with extra raspberry sauce.
• Sweetened Whipped Cream:
• Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat!
• Yield: 1 cup
• Triple Raspberry Sauce:
• Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.
• Yield: 2 cups

PASSION FRUIT PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275˚ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a plate or cake pan as a guide, trace a 9-inch circle on the parchment with a pencil, then flip over the parchment on the baking sheet (the circle should still be visible); set aside.
• Make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon vinegar and the salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dissolved. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cornstarch, vanilla and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and beat until just combined, 10 to 15 seconds.
• Spread the meringue into a 9-inch round on the prepared baking sheet (use the pencil marking as a guide) and make a shallow well in the center. Transfer to the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 225˚. Bake until crisp and dry, about 2 1/2 hours. (The meringue should still be white or a very pale cream color.) Turn off the oven and open the door slightly (use the handle of a wooden spoon to prop it open about 1/2 inch). Let the meringue cool completely in the oven, about 1 1/2 hours. Carefully remove the meringue from the parchment and transfer to a platter.
• Make the whipped cream: Beat the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Just before serving, top the meringue: Gently stir the passion fruit pulp to loosen. Top the meringue with the whipped cream and passion fruit. Serve immediately.

THE BEST PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment. An easy way to do this is to draw around the outside of a 9 inch pan with a pencil.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar gradually, while continuing to whip. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch; lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice.
• Spread a layer of meringue to fit circle on parchment, approximately 1/4 inch thick. With remainder of mixture, pipe or spoon swirls around the edges to form a shallow bowl shape.
• Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for an additional 30 minutes. When cool, the meringue should be hard on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside.
• In a large bowl, combine the cream and half a cup of confectioners sugar, and whip until thickened. Decorate with fruit of your choice; strawberries are excellent.

FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Crimp seams of puff pastry together with fingertips. Dust both sides of pastry with sugar. Using a rolling pin, roll pastry in each direction to close seams. Using a sharp pizza cutter (and tracing a small plate) cut out 2 circles of pastry. Place pastry circles on a chilled sheet pan and let cool in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
• Using a vegetable peeler cut wafer thin apple slices. Put apple slices in lemon-juice-spiked water.
• Flip pastry circles over on the sheet pans and poke them with a fork to provide an outlet for steam. Put parchment paper on the pan underneath the pastry circles. Sprinkle pastry with sugar and arrange apple slices on top.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Poke the crust; if it feels soft it needs more time in the oven.
• Microwave some apricot jam for 30 seconds. Dab (don't brush) the jam on the tarts. Cool tarts at least 4 hours and seal in a resealable plastic bag. Serve at room temperature or heat in the microwave and top with ice cream.

MARTHA'S PAVLOVA WITH PASSION FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Draw four 4-inch circles or one 8-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment paper. Transfer parchment, traced side down, to a baking sheet.
• Whisk egg whites and a pinch of salt with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With machine running, add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Sprinkle in vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla; whisk until just combined.
• With a rubber spatula, mound meringue onto parchment in center of circle or circles. Evenly spread meringue toward edges. Transfer to oven, and immediately reduce temperature to 200 degrees. Bake until meringue lifts off parchment easily, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Turn off oven. Let meringue cool completely in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once meringue is cool and completely dry, scoop out passion fruit over tops. Garnish with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

PAVLOVA WITH FRESH RED FRUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Using a rubber spatula, spoon 3 to 4 one-cup blobs of meringue onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving 3 inches of space between each blob. Lift up sides of each blob with a small offset spatula and flip meringue back across the top, creating 6 to 8 smoothly folded pillowlike squares.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Place baking sheet in oven; bake until meringues are crisp on outside but have a marshmallow consistency on inside, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check consistency by poking into the bottom one meringue pillow. If meringues start to brown, reduce temperature to 175 degrees. Remove from oven, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, combine fruit, kirsch, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Let stand, gently stirring once or twice, until soft and juicy, about 1 hour or longer, depending on the fruits.
• Pour cream into chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip, on medium speed, until cream is just stiff. Break meringue pillows open, and place on dessert plates. Top with whipped cream and berries. Garnish with fresh mint and a dusting of confectioners' sugar.