Pavlova from Nigella Lawson’s, How to Be a Domestic Goddess…
Twice in four weeks has this delicate, GF I might add, delicacy graced our table. I find it to be the perfect summer dessert. Well actually it’s perfect year round, but topped with fresh picked summer berries it is hard to beat. When searching Nigella and pavlova for a recipe link, I also came across this wonderfulness in chocolate.
Pavlova might be my favorite as its lightly, crunchy exterior protects its soft insides.
I piped these into small nests on Silpat 
These cradles were filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream and strawberries and topped with toasted almond slivers.
Per usual, I dig in before I take photos. This isn’t just half eaten for “the shot”. My love of eating overrides my love of photography and it’s always a Homer Simpson “doh” moment!
One of the not so perfect pieces gets munched in the process while the “good’ ones get to be dressed for the party.
The second round of meringue was intended to be straight up crunchy to work into one of my favorite desserts. Eton Mess. I was reminded of Eton Mess when we ate at the Whale Wins last week in Seattle. It’s a basic recipe of 4 large egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, pinch of salt or cream of tarter and that’s it. Well that could be it. But I added 1/2 tsp each of vanilla and brandy. Beat the whites till just soft peaks like about how it looks here. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time beating till it’s satiny. Usually I use extra fine sugar but I tried some organic sugar this time and I liked the texture. Not the big crystal sort but definitely not fine.
Then I folded in a 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts for a little somethin somethin. Let me tell you… it worked.
You know the test for meringue is holding the bowl upside down and it doesn’t slip out.
Get a load of this photo. What do you see?
I think a funny face above. yes?
And here? Well I’ll let you decide. I just happened to use hand beaters and I do easily amuse myself. 
Eton mess is generally crushed meringue , whipped cream and fruit. Really pretty darn close to pavlova except a slight difference in texture. I didn’t do a lot of mixing up on this one. And I’d be lying if I said this meringue turned out really crunchy even though I let it dry out in the oven overnight. We were expecting rain and it was humid. Yes… it is that sensitive.
And the last not so bueno iphone shot maybe the second or third night of meringue (it’s a naughty habit)… all mixed up and not so pretty but you get the idea. I did a little buttermilk into the whipped cream- a nice little contrast to the sweet.
Next those separated yolks will be heading for buttermilk basil ice-cream to alleviate their anxiety of being left out.
Tschüß xx
Also using meringue:
French Macarons… A cinnamon and ginger duet.
Wendy's Place 
Looks lovely. Thanks
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No … thank you for stopping by:)
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Looks delicious, Wendy! I think I need those SilPat liners, too – I made meringue last weekend, and quite a few stuck to the baking paper and refused to come off…
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I highly recommend Silpat liners. I bake only on them. Try a little water under the paper if it happens again.
Meringue is on right now. It’s so easy and delish.
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Wendy, shame on you …. post things like this. I can see how soft like air those meringues are –
Love that you have taken nuts in the mixture.
We had heavy rain a couple of times today … first rain for ages and so really needed, a bit too late for the crop and farmers.
Wonderful to hear from you.
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I can’t help myself. Everyone should be eating like this. The nuts and brandy were an interesting and tasty addition.
We are in real need of rain here- strange thing to say in the Pacific Northwest… but true at the moment. It literally has not rained in well over a month.
cheers… xo wendy
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Mm… I love all kinds of meringues! 🙂
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Oh me too. I didn’t though until I was about 35. They were too sweet for me (except for macorons). Go figure. Now I’m totally into it and am trying some different flavor combos.
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Coconut meringue is delicious !!
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I’m on it 🙂
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You really should try, I made this recipe, and the cream that goes with it makes it not too sweet! 🙂
http://dailyinakitchen.com/2013/07/03/kokosmarang-med-limegradde-coconut-meringue-with-lime-cream/
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Yummy, yummy. They look wonderful.
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Thanks. They are too good and keep so well it’s easy to eat them for a week straight.
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Yummy! I love meringues too, especially with raspberries. 😀
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Yes. Nothing like picking them off the bushes and dropping onto some whipped cream!
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I can’t even tell you how much I love meringues. In fact, when I went to France? I ate them exclusively. Which really made my mother mad…
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I bet you do. So do you have a little bake shop bun in the oven? Heading your way momentarily:) x
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YUM! Meringue is not just crisp and sweet and delicious, it also photographs really well – starting on the dessert before photographing it is really cheeky of you. Don’t appreciate having to watch the food being eaten, and your revealing all the yumminess within this dessert is just unfair! I have run out of eggs! 😛
It’s great to read from you again Wendy, your food and photography are also little pleasures I look forward to – hope the shop is going well! Have a good weekend x
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It’s way fun to take pictures of. The shop is great. Busy but I’m still having time for the garden and farm… could use a little more blog time though! x wt
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Tis the season for meringue, twice in a month for me as well ! Last week with honey stewed apricots and almond creme – but my absolute addiction is a spring version with stewed rhubarb. Sweet, sour, crunchy, chewy, soft. Great shots – and kudos on the one of the sideways meringue – guessing that was a one-handed challenge. Cheers to meringues.
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Isn’t it the best? Let’s put some on that dinner menu. I hope to have peaches coming soon that I think we could work with:)
I do like a challenge.
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That looks wonderful!! You are amazing! Sorry I took so long to get here but the series is ferociously demanding and I’ve been doing 7 day weeks. _Resa xo
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Please don’t apologize-it takes me weeks sometimes. It’s great to hear from you anytime. Don’t forget to sleep and eat now and again:-)
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Yu – Pavlova is one of my favorites too 🙂
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I meant YUM LOL
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I thought you meant – YO I love Pavlova 🙂
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LOL – fingers move faster than my brain sometimes
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Wendy you are amazing!
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Why thank you. Nice to see you- going to catch up with you now. Son is back from camp I think. How’s Atlanta besides hot!
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I really need to give meringue another try. I attempted it once many, many years ago and it never crisped up (due to my impatience, I’m sure). Yours looks so lovely though 🙂 What a perfect summer dessert.
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Your photography is delicious! I’m sure the meringues are too…
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The inclusion of the nuts and brandy sounds rather nice, I can almost taste it. The face in the whipped merengue certainly provoked a smile.
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Sweet, light and decadently delicious.
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Lol, Wendy, I definitely see a face in your perfectly whipped meringue. It looks like a monkey to me! I’ve never eaten or made pavlovas, Eton Mess, meringues, etc. That’s totally weird for someone who loves sweets and desserts as much as I do! These look lovely, light, and so delicious with the fruit toppings. I hope you’re having a wonderful summer so far!
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It looks so yummy, i’m not a big fan of merinque but this one looks good!
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That’s a definite funny face Chloe! and no I didn’t know about the test of holding the bowl upside down …….. I haven’t made meringues for centuries, so thank you for the inspiration – we are heading into blackberry and raspberry season here, perfect partners if I remember right!
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Hahahaa! I saw the face before I read your comment, I was about to laugh out loud! I love it when things like that happen during baking (I recently saw a funny face in some eggs that I’d cracked into a bowl also. Fun times). Your pavlovas look perfect. I am such a lover of the pavlova… as it’s sort of our national dessert here in Australia. The whipped cream and berries are a perfect accompaniment. Love this post! xx
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Thanks! I was laughing too.
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