Gingered pear and chocolate pavlova
We love a good pavlova but strawberry season is a long way off. Just as the clouds are rolling in and we are already missing sunny days by the sea, this pavlova recipe will bring back memories of those care-free days. Instead of strawberries we use pears poached in ginger and slathered in melted chocolate. What you have here is a perfectly wintery summer dessert.
Gingered pear and chocolate pavlova
Ingredients
- Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 250g sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp cornflour
Gingered pears
- 4 large pears
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 100g sugar
Cream filling
- 300ml fresh cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp sugar
Chocolate topping
- 100g dark chocolate
- Knob butter
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ orange, zest only
- Handful flaked almonds, toasted
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 150°C.
- In a very clean, dry bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add the sugar and a pinch of salt and continue to whisk until stiff and glossy (approx. 5 mins).
- Add the vinegar and the cornflour.
- Smooth the meringue mixture onto baking paper on a baking tray approx. 5cm thick, with the back of a spatula.
- Bake for approx. 1 hour until the meringue starts to crack.
- In the meantime, peel the pears and chop into large bite-sized pieces.
- Peel and roughly chop the ginger.
- Place the sugar in a saucepan of water and heat until the sugar melts. Add the pears and ginger and simmer for approx. 10 mins until the pears are soft.
- Drain and set aside to cool.
- Whip the cream with the vanilla, lemon juice and sugar until it reaches the soft peak stage. Do not over-whip.
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water with the butter, salt and ground ginger.
- Assemble the pavlova as close to serving time as possible for best results.
- Spread the cream over the top of the pavlova, followed by the pears.
- Top with flaked almonds and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top.
This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today, October, 2016.
