Pavlovas with Strawberries and Balsamic
These airy pavlovas are crowned with softly whipped cream and topped with a sweet strawberry balsamic jam. You’ll love this pillowy light baked meringue dessert! Naturally gluten-free.
Hi friends! I just want to say thanks so much to all of you who’ve been so kind in wishing me a speedy recovery. I’m doing lots better than I was; no more fever and just a little bit of a stuffy, achy head at this point. It sure is tough to stay healthy when the kiddos seem to pick up every bug that comes down the pike! But I’m up and around again and just trying my best to get caught up. Boy, it only takes a day or two before everything seems to just come loose at the seams. Heaven help me!
Thank goodness for easy recipes! I really wanted to keep it simple for today’s post. I know it sounds kinda fancy, but just think of this as a baked meringue with whipped cream and berries. That’s really all there is to it!
I love them for Easter, because they’re eggy, but happily, they’re also perfect for Passover because there’s no flour or leavening. Which means they’re also gluten-free 😉
This dessert is all about balance. Keep the whipped cream unsweetened- the meringue is already pretty sweet. I did add the seeds of a vanilla bean though. So good!
And the berries…! Oh, my goodness, this strawberry balsamic thing. I am telling YOU! It is seriously to die for. I know it maybe sounds a little strange, but it is actually a classic pairing. It doesn’t taste vinegary, per se, but the balsamic vinegar just brings something out in the berries… somehow it makes them taste even more strawberry-ish. Half the berries get simmered in sugar and balsamic, for a quick jam/preserve kinda thing, and then the other half get folded into that, so sometimes you get a berry that’s sort of chewy/syrupy, sometimes you get a fresh berry that’s tart and juicy, and all of it is slicked in this musty, fruity drizzle.
That little bit of basil sure looks pretty, too, right? It’s amazing how much basil flavor permeates into the dessert, just with those few leaves scattered on top. It really compliments so well! That little hit of herbal freshness just brings everything together: sweet, crumbly-marshmallowy meringue, pillowy cream, summery berries, and a hint of basil… mm!
You’ve got to make this dessert! It’s so super simple to prepare, and yet so elegant. I’m telling you, you will swoon! I totally did, and I’m 99% sure it wasn’t the antihistamines.
Hopefully this weekend I’ll get caught up on visiting and commenting on blogs, so I’m sorry for being MIA this week! But we’ve also got little league games, my seven(!)-year old’s birthday, and eggs to dye/baskets to fill 😀 I hope you all have a lovely Easter, full of love and family and yummy treats!
*This post was featured on the Super Saturday link party on Made From Pinterest*
**This post was featured on the Best of the Weekend link party on Little Miss Celebration*
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Pavlovas with Strawberries and Balsamic
Ingredients
For the Meringues:
- 4 egg whites, (large)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For the Strawberry Balsamic Topping:
- 3 cups strawberries,, hulled and quartered (divided)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- seeds scraped from a vanilla bean, (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract)
- a few sprigs of fresh basil
Instructions
Make the Meringues:
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Whip the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Gradually and very S-L-O-W-L-Y, add in the sugar, while whipping. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Place 6 dollops of meringue, about 4 inches in diameter, on parchment-lined baking sheets. Use the back of a spoon to shape the meringues, creating a slight well in the centers.
- Bake for one hour, turn off the oven, and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon until completely cooled.
Make the Strawberry Balsamic Topping:
- Place 1½ cups of strawberries in a wide shallow pan, along with the sugar and balsamic vinegar.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thick and syrupy.
- Cool, and fold in the remaining berries.
Assemble the Pavlovas:
- Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks, then fold in the vanilla.
- Top each meringue with whipped cream and berries; garnish with fresh basil.
Just made this and it is DELISH! I used ‘everyday’ balsamic for the sauce, then drizzled the plated dessert with ‘the good stuff.’ man oh man. Will definitely be making this version again – thank you!
Yay!!! I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for letting me know, Debbie <3
Hi Allie,
I love the sound and look of this recipe! Which is why i want to make it for my birthday on tuesday and bring it into work. I will have to make it the night before so I was wondering if its ok to make the whole thing cream and all and keep it in the fridge for the night. Or should I make the whipped cream and balsamic strawberry deliciousness that morning before I go to work. Thanks so much for sharing this!! And I obviously can’t wait to make it!
Hey, that’s awesome, Ali! And happy birthday! You and your co-workers are going to love this. Here is what I would do if I were you: Make the baked meringue part the night before, and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also make the strawberry balsamic part, and refrigerate. Save the whipped cream for the morning of, and put it all together just before serving (Including the fresh basil, if using. Chopped basil tends to turn black after a little while so definitely do that last minute if you can!). I think that will give you the best possible result- if you put it all together too early the meringue will get soggy and the whipped cream will weep. But this way you’ll at least get a lot of the prep out of the way in advance! I hope you enjoy and have the best birthday ever!!!
I’ve never even seen a pavlova before! This looks wonderful. I have celiac and love all kinds of GF treats.
Speaking of strawberry & balsamic vinegar, I bought a bottle of strawberry balsamic vinegar from this place “41 Olive” near my house in Irvine. I don’t know if they are a chain store, but it’s my favorite dressing! It doesn’t taste like vinegar at all, as you said!
http://www.41olive.com/collections/balsamic-vinegar/products/strawberry
I’ve only used it in salads but after reading your post, I see other uses in my future! Thx!
That vinegar sounds amazing! I’ll have to keep an eye out for it; thanks for the tip! You’ll have to give Pavlova a try, it’s one of my favorite desserts, and you can top it in so many different ways. Thanks so much for stopping by, Jean! And for the great comment too 😉
This is such a pretty dessert. I’ve never made Pavlovas but they look so delicious and easy to make! Your pictures are amazing too, thanks for sharing the recipe :)!
p.s. Found you at the Link.Create.Party! link party.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Roxy, and for the sweet comment! You’ve gotta try making Pavlova, girl, it’s so dreamy! Hope you have a fun weekend 😉
Hi Allie! I am one of the hosts of the Super Saturday Link Party and just wanted to thank you for linking up with us this weekend! These look amazing and I featured them on all my social media outlets today. I hope you keep coming back to share your amazing talent with us! Carole
Thank you so much, Carole! I never miss a Super Saturday Link Party 😉 Thanks so much for hosting it every week, for the feature, and for sharing! Hope you have a fabulous weekend 😀 😀 😀
Totally gorgeous desserts! Glad you are feeling better & thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
My pleasure, Karly! I never miss a What’s Cookin’ Wednesday- it’s one of my favorite link-ups. Hope you had a terrific weekend, girl 😉
How beautiful, and fancy, and yet so simple! I love how versatile this dessert is. I can see filling them with all sorts of different fruits and maybe even drizzle it with chocolate or something. This is a perfect basic recipe that I’m going to pin to make many times over.
How beautiful, and fancy, and yet so simple! I love how versatile this dessert is. I can see filling them with all sorts of different fruits and maybe even drizzle it with chocolate or something. This is a perfect basic recipe that I’m going to pin this to make many times over.
Oh girl, I like the way you think! Chocolate would be awesome! Can’t wait to see what you come up with 😉 Thanks so much for pinning, my friend!
These are beautiful! I feel like this would be such an easy way to impress guests. I definitely want to try! Thanks for posting!!
My pleasure, Ashley! I’m so happy you liked. Thanks so much for stopping by and for the sweet comment 😉
I’ve never made pavlovas before and you make them look so easy. These are so beautiful dear!! I hope you are feeling better 🙂
Thank you sweetie! I am doing lots better. Hope you had a fun weekend! Talk soon <3