Impress Your Guests with a Stunning Seasonal Edible Pavlova Wreath
Since December is a festive and somewhat decadent time, I made a wreath with a series of mini meringues. Once the meringues were made and decorated, I combined them into a larger wreath shape. The result was a delicious edible pavlova wreath with “pull-away” meringues. While this recipe has a few steps and ingredients, it is fun to make, and your guests will love it.
Pull-Away Pavlova with Passion Fruit Curd Wreath
Equipment
- piping bag, reusable, with set of tips You'll need the "star" tip
Ingredients
For the Meringues:
- 4 egg whites or 115g (4 oz) liquid egg white
- 115 g granulated sugar
- 115 g powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1-2 drops green food dye (optional)
For the Passion Fruit Curd:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 227 g granulated sugar
- 207 g passion fruit pulp strained (to remove the seeds)
- 113 g unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1-2 drops green food dye (optional)
For the Cream:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz heavy cream (35%) for whipping
For Decorating:
- pomegranate seeds
- fresh mint leaves
- edible flowers
- edible gold leaf
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Meringue:
- Preheat the oven to 110°C (230°F).
- Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and cream of tartar until stiff. Then, gradually incorporate granulated sugar.
- Beat for 4-5 minutes until the consistency is thick and glossy.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a pastry bag with a star tip, pipe 20 mini wreaths.
- Bake the meringue for 60 minutes. Then, turn off the oven and let the meringues cool.
- Using a spatula, carefully lift the meringues from the parchment paper.
Step 2: Prepare the Passion Fruit Curd
- Whisk together sugar, yolks, and egg. Set aside.
- Fill a medium stockpot with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer. Set a stainless-steel bowl over the pot, ensuring the bowl's bottom does not touch the water.
- In this double boiler, gently heat passion fruit pulp, butter, and salt over low heat until butter has melted.
- Remove the bowl from heat and whisk a few tablespoons of the melted passion fruit mixture into the whisked eggs/sugar bowl. Continually whisking, gradually add the fruit mixture to the eggs.
- Pour all of the combinations back into the bowl. Set over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to stir continually, scraping the bottom and edges of the pot to prevent eggs from curdling. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the mixture thickens to nappé consistency.
- Remove from heat and transfer the curd into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to lay directly on the surface of the curd. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to cool and thicken.
Step 3: Prepare the Whipped Cream Cheese Combo and Whipped Cream
- Gently combine cream cheese and whipped cream (after individually whipping), using a 2:1 ratio of 8 oz of cream cheese and 4 oz of heavy whipping cream. Scoop this combo in a piping bag with a star tip and use it in step 4. A drop of green food dye is optional.
Step 4: Creating & Plating the Pull-Away Pavlova with Passion Fruit Curd, Fresh Fruit, Edible Gold, and Edible Flowers Presentation
- Create this dish on a white plate using mini pavlovas (in the shape of a wreath). First, pipe in a combination of whipped cream cheese and whipped cream, then pipe the passion fruit curd on top of this shape. Then, add pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, edible flowers, and edible gold leaf.
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