Christmas Pavlova Wreath with Lemon Curd or Cranberry Pomegranate Marscapone Cream

Two dozen eggs later.. I’ve almost “perfected” the

Christmas Wreath Pavlova

I say almost because the other recipes may lie to you,

THERE ARE ALWAYS CRACKS

The trick, then, is to minimize them..

by baking the evening before and letting the meringue cool naturally in the oven overnight.

I found using fresh lemon juice produced fewer cracks as did whipping at a medium high not high speed until stiff peaks form.

Handle with care as the slightlest touch can shatter a section.

But.. have no fear as the toppings can cover a multitude of sins..

What could be more Christmasy than

sugared cranberries

sugared “pine branches” (rosemary)

all atop whipped cream and a layer of tart lemon curd

I was considering stirring a spoonful or two of raspberry jelly into the whipping cream but after FOUR tries I just didn’t have the energy. But I did plop some raspberries and pomegranates on top.

Yes.. this is a showstopper for Christmas dinner

No, it doesn’t travel well because it has to be assembled just before serving or the meringue softens and will collapse.. which requires hauling a mixer and all the toppings to the party.

Best to serve this one at home!

The cornstarch creates the thick cloud of marshmallow in the center..

♥

Two years ago I made a pink Cranberry & Pomegranate Pavlova Wreath that was also quite pretty. I’ve added that recipe here if you wish to substitute the lemon curd.

Christmas Berry Pavlova Wreath with Lemon Curd

Cook time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Barbara Barry

Ingredients

6 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 cups fine, berry sugar
3 tsp cornstarch
1 ½ tsp lemon juice *can substitute with equal amount of cream of tartar
1 ½ tsp clear vanilla extract or vanilla seeds from one pod (optional) *brown vanilla extract will tint your meringue so not recommended.
Toppings:
Lemon Curd
Whipped Cream
Pomegranate seeds
Raspberries
Sugared Cranberries
Sugared Rosemary
Cranberry & Pomegranate Marscapone Cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250F.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a silpat covered baking sheet. Using a large plate draw a 8-10" round. Using a bowl, trace a small 4" center round. This is the guide for your wreath. Turn the parchment over.
Prewash your mixing bowl and whisk, scrubbing to remove any oils from previous use. Do the same with your spatula, all parts must be squeaky clean!
Crack each egg, separating the egg white into a cup. Then add this to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
This ensures no egg yolk is ever in contact with the egg whites. If this happens the whites won't rise and you'll have to start over.
Beat the egg whites on medium high (not high) until you have soft frothy peaks. On my Kitchen Aid stand mixer this is level 6 out of 10. This is about 6-7 minutes.
Slowly add the fine berry sugar, one tablespoon at a time and let it blend for about 20 seconds. This takes a while but ensures the sugar dissolves within the egg whites.
One all the sugar is incorporated, keep whipping at the same speed, checking to see if the sugar is dissolved by rubbing a small amount between your fingers. Anything gritty means you need to keep beating.
One the batter reaches stiff, glossy peaks, lift the mixing stand and you'll see the batter doesn't "move" or slide back into the bowl.
With the mixer on low, stir in the cornstarch, lemon juice and clear vanilla extract (if using). I found the lemon juice resulted in less cracking than when I used cream of tartar. Regular vanilla extract will turn your meringue brown so is not recommended.
Once all is incorporated, dollop large spoonfuls around the wreath form. Using an offset spatula or knife, smooth the sides and top to form the shape of the wreath.
Bake for approximately 90 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave overnight or at least for a few hours. Allowing the meringue to cool naturally in the oven reduces the amount of cracking that would occur if exposed quickly to the cooler room temperature.
Top with anything you like, whipping cream, berries, pomegrate seeds, lemon curd.

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Lemon Curd

Author: Barbara Barry

Ingredients

3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup lemon curd (see above)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. If the dough doesn’t look like it’s coming together and forming around the beater, drizzle tiny amounts of ice water until you reach the consistency of a soft, not sticky dough.
Remove portions (a good handful) of the dough and roll 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped cutter. If you have a Linzer cookie cutter, cut the bases, then insert the heart shape cutter and cut out the tops. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes. This is an important step because it will keep the cookies from spreading and ensure the shapes and pretty cut-outs will stay in place when baking.
Bake the cookies for about 9-12 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown. It is better to take the cookies out when they are almost mostly still white.
Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread lemon curd on the flat (bottom) side of each solid cookie. Remember to dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners’ sugar first and then press the flat sides together, with the lemon curd in the middle and the confectioners’ sugar on the top.
Any jam, preserve, or nutella can replace the lemon curd in this recipe.

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Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary

Author: Barbara Barry

Ingredients

1/3 cup cranberries
1 cup rosemary pieces, snipped
1/2 cup fine berry sugar
1/2 cup water
Additional berry sugar

Instructions

Boil water together with 1/2 cup of sugar until sugar is dissolved, then let cool until just warm,
Toss cranberries into the sugar styrup and stir to cover them fully. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate or parchment paper. Let stand for 15 minutes or so.
Repeat with the rosemary pieces.
Pour about 1/2 cup berry sugar into a bowl. A few at a time, toss the cranberries to coat and set on a clean plate. Repeat until you've covered all of the cranberries and rosemary pieces. Allow to dry while you begin asxembling your pavlova wreath.
Can be made the night before.

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Cranberry & Pomegranate Marscapone Whipped Cream

Author: Barbara Barry

Ingredients

1/3 cup cranberries
1/3 cup pomegranate arils
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup orange or apple juice
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large sauce pan combine 1/3 cup cranberries, 1/3 cup pomegranate arils, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 cup orange juice.
Bring to a light boil, stirring frequently, for a few minutes until cranberries pop and the mixture thickens.
Then pulse it with the immersion blender until smooth and strain the sauce through the fine mesh into the jar, discarding the seeds. Let the sauce cool completely.
In the bowl of a standing mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, mascarpone and vanilla extract until soft peaks form, about 2 – 3 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup of the cream into the cooled cranberry and pomegranate sauce, then carefully use a spatula to fold that mixture back into the bowl of the whipped cream.

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