Pavlova For Rosh Hashana

Shifra Klein – Bitayavon Magazine

On Rosh Hashana it is customary to eat a new fruit in celebration of the New Year making Rosh Hashana a great time to indulge in the variety of tropical fruit that are available. Many of these varieties have a predominant tart or sour flavor. Think of star fruit or passion fruit, for instance.

What better way to serve these fruit than with pavlova? Pavlova is a pillowy meringue cake, crunchy on the outside with a soft marshmallow center. Pavlova takes minutes to make using egg whites and sugar and can easily be made in individual sizes or into one large size.

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon white vinegar

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups chopped or sliced fruit of choice (suggestions: kiwi, raspberries, apples, star fruit, and passion fruit.)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees
Place parchment paper on large cookie sheet
Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks begin to form
Slowly add vinegar, sugar and cornstarch, one tablespoon at a time and beat until fully incorporated
You will know when to stop mixing the meringue batter if when you turn over whisk, the batter stays up in very stiff peaks
Place batter onto parchment paper and smooth out into desired shape and size
Lower oven to 250 and bake for about an hour or until pavlova is set; make sure the pavlova isn’t cracking or turning a tan color. If the pavlova starts to crack or change colors, lower oven temperature just a bit
Set aside to cool
Top with whipped cream
Top with fruit of choice
Serve with raspberry coulis (optional/recipe follows)

TIPS FOR MAKING A PERFECT MEREINGUE:

· To ensure that your meringue batter is ready to go in the oven, take a teaspoonful of batter and rub in between your fingers. If the batter feels smooth it is ready to go in the oven. If the batter still feels grainy (from the sugar) beat a few minutes longer.

· Make sure your beating bowl is completely dry and clean. Any grease or water will prevent egg whites from beating properly.

· Leave eggs at room temperature for at least twenty minutes before beating the meringues.

1-2-3 Raspberry Coulis

This recipe works well with any fruit you have on hand, it takes seconds to make, and can be served with various desserts. It is tasty and makes for a great presentation.

1 pack frozen raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice

Process above ingredients
Place in container
Refrigerate until ready to serve

From the fall 2011 issue of Bitayavon Joy of Kosher Magazine, to subscribe and for more recipes check out www.joyofkosher.com