Baby Pomegranate Pavlovas

How much more festive can you get than a pairing of white meringes and whipped cream with dark red pomegranate seeds? Not much, I tell you. If you live in a dry climate like I do, winter is the best time ever to make meringues, because you basically can't screw them up. Unless of course, like me you brilliantly decide to do them for dessert at a meal where you've just spent 5 hours boiling a huge ham on your stove, which, well, I never claimed that foresight was a strong point for me...but I digress.

Having lived in Oz for quite a while, I experienced many pavlovas. Some were good, Some were awful. By and large the good ones managed to perfect the art of the crispy meringue. The bad ones were spongy and flaccid. Having had marvellous success with meringue making this summer, I used the same recipe for the meringues, and made similar sized (10 cm diameter, 3-4 cm height) disks of merinuge on my floured baking parchment. I even put a smidge of pink food colour in because I couldn't resist. Meringues just look better pink!

On top of the little meringue disks (which will keep in a tightly sealed contianer for a few days if you want to make them ahead. I've also heard they freeze well, but as I've never tried it, I'm not about to recommend it) I dobbed whipped cream (with a bit of sugar and vanilla whipped in) and sprinkled over some of the nicest looking and best tasting pomegratae seeds I have ever eaten. They were so dark red and glossy they looked like little rubies. What a great way to use seasonal fruit to make something simple and very very festive!

Fo six servings you'll need:

• for the meringues:  two large eggwhites (or 3 small), 1/4 cup sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• For the whipped cream: 1 cup cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
• plus 1 large (the size of a very big grapefruit) or 2 medium pomegranates

Comments

[Robwonton]

WOW. Wonderful picture. My mouth is watering.

[sam]

that's beautiful lyn. I LOVE pavlova. It's a family tradition. We used to have a typed out recipe copied from a book, and someone wrote on it "Serves 8, or just one B-Family. Yes the four of us could polish the whole thing off in one meal. no problem.
I can't even imgine it making it as far as the freezer.
me and my teenage girlfriends all of us chose it for our birthday dessert every year.
I found how to make the meringue really white by following a donna hay recipe. You have to cook it very low and very long.
Me - i think it tastes better when it's a little brown and chewy under the crispy bits.

[Lyn]

sam

I got kind of impatient and turned the heat up so mine were a bit yellowish. I'd rather have yellowish pavlovas that are ready when Iwant to eat them than white ones that i have to wait for.

[BNA]

What a gorgeous picture! I've never had a pavlova, but I'm certainly tempted now.

[Tania]

I adore pomegranates, but have never done more than eat them "as is". These pavlovas sound divine and look festive ... Thanks for sharing the recipe!

[Pille]

Beautiful pavlovas, Lyn - I especially love the deep ruby colour of the pomegranate seeds (mine are just red, not deep ruby sadly).