Blood-Orange Pavlovas with Grand Marnier

pavlova-1104-mla100769.jpg
Yield:
1 dozen

A specialty in New Zealand and Australia, pavlova is a meringue recipe topped with whipped cream and strawberries, kiwi, or passion fruit. Our pavlova dessert delivers a burst of citrus with boozy orange custard and blood-orange sections soaked in Grand Marnier.

Ingredients

  • 6 blood oranges, peel and pith removed

  • 7 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur

  • 4 large eggs, separated

  • 1 ¼ cups sugar

  • teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • ¼ cup orange juice

  • ½ cup heavy cream

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Cut oranges into segments. Toss with 3 tablespoons liqueur; refrigerate.

  2. Make meringue: Put egg whites, 1 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until sugar is melted and mixture is hot.

  3. Fit mixer with whisk attachment; beat egg-white mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Raise speed to high; beat until cool, and stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.

  4. Using a rubber spatula, mound meringue into twelve 3-inch-wide rounds on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Swirl edges and make a well in center of each meringue. Bake until crisp and just set in center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack. When meringues are cool enough to handle, peel off parchment. Let cool completely.

  5. Make custard: Stir together yolks, juice, remaining 1/4 cup each sugar and liqueur, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thickened and a spoon leaves a wake, about 4 minutes. Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

  6. Beat cream to soft peaks; fold into custard. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours (rewhisk before using).

  7. Just before serving, mound custard in each meringue. Top custard mounds with orange segments and their juices.

Related Articles