By Post-Thanksgiving. Turkey stock. Turkey pot pie. The annual transformation. Also made a turkey and wild rice soup this year — a new recipe, something I found that uses the carcass and the leftover vegetables and adds wild rice for texture and body. Betty would say wild rice is a northern thing and she'd be right, but the soup was good and good doesn't have a geography.
December arriving. The cough returning with the cold. The morning routine — inhaler, exercises, scarf for the walk. Three winters with the diagnosis now. The lungs are not worse but not better — stable, managed, the chronic in chronic bronchitis meaning this is the companion I didn't choose but can't leave. I coexist with my lungs the way I coexist with my back — painfully, daily, with the understanding that the alternative to coexistence is worse and I am not accepting worse.
The soup was the savory accounting of the holiday — bones and broth and wild rice, something useful made from what was left. But December deserves its own gesture, something that leans forward rather than back, and I’ve been making this Christmas Pavlova for a few years now because a meringue that’s crisp on the outside and soft in the center feels like the right metaphor for coexisting with things you can’t change. Betty would have called it fussy. She also would have had seconds.
Christmas Pavlova
Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min | Total Time: 2 hr 30 min (includes cooling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup superfine (caster) sugar
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare. Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment as a guide; flip the paper over.
- Beat the egg whites. In a clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add sugar gradually. Increase speed to high and add superfine sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating continuously. Continue until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form, about 8–10 minutes. Rub a small amount between your fingers — it should feel smooth, not gritty.
- Fold in stabilizers. Sprinkle cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla over the meringue. Gently fold in with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Shape the pavlova. Spoon the meringue onto the prepared parchment circle, spreading to fill the outline. Build up the sides slightly higher than the center to create a well for the toppings.
- Bake low and slow. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside, door closed, for at least 1 hour or until fully cooled. Do not rush this step — the slow cool prevents cracking.
- Whip the cream. Just before serving, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar together until soft, billowy peaks form. Do not overbeat.
- Top and serve. Transfer the cooled pavlova to a serving plate. Spread whipped cream over the center. Arrange strawberries, raspberries, and pomegranate arils over the cream. Scatter mint leaves on top. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 265 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 45mg