POMEGRANATE PAVLOVA

Pomegranate Pavlova image

It is customary on Passover to avoid baked goods with flour and leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda and yeast), so desserts and especially cakes can be a challenge! This pavlova is a perfect Passover dessert because it avoids all of those things and is cloud-like and satisfying, not to mention beautiful! The flavors are inspired by charoset, a traditional Passover dish of fruit and nuts. I love apples and pomegranates in mine, so I've used them on this pavlova.

Provided by Molly Yeh

Categories dessert

Time 2h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

4 large egg whites (keep 2 yolks for the curd)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Curd, recipe follows
1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced very thin and tossed in a bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Quartered green grapes, for serving
Pomegranate seeds, for serving
Chopped candied walnuts, for serving
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1/2 orange)
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks (from the eggs in the meringue)
Pinch kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 to 3 drops red food coloring

Steps:

In a stand mixer bowl, combine the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt. Place over a saucepan of boiling water and whisk continuously until the mixture is opaque and ribbony and sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. (Feel some between your fingers; if it feels smooth without granules, you're good. You can also test readiness by the temperature. The mixture should be around 140 degrees F.)
Attach the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip the egg white mixture until the bowl has cooled off and the whites are stiff glossy peaks, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and cider vinegar and combine thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 210 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Plop the egg white mixture onto the center of the prepared baking sheet and spread into a 9-inch circle with a well-defined cavity for filling. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then turn off the oven and allow to sit in there for another 2 hours. Remove the meringue from the oven and reserve at room temperature in a dry place.
Place the meringue on a serving dish. Fill the cavity with the Curd, then top with the sliced apple, grapes, pomegranate seeds and candied nuts.
Combine the orange juice, pomegranate juice, powdered sugar, eggs, egg yolks and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk continuously (not too vigorously, though, just gently) until mixture has thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the stove and add the butter, a chunk at a time, whisking until it is fully melted and combined. Add food the coloring and stir it in.
Transfer the curd to a dish or container, leaving behind any curdled bits that may have formed on the bottom of the saucepan. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.