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Pavlova: Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

Source of Recipe

Jan Pinkerton


List of Ingredients

For the chocolate meringue:

6 egg whites

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped


For the topping:

2 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 pint raspberries (or other favorite berries, drained if juicy)

2-3 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate




Recipe


GILROY LIFE


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Recipes for chocolate lovers

Tuesday, July 13, 2004
By Jenny Midtgaard Derry

Unsweetened chocolate powder is the ultimate baker’s tool. To those who don’t bake, the squatty container can be intimidating. I mean, it doesn’t make much sense to start with an ingredient that tastes so bitter and horrible when what you really want is a sweet chocolate treat. Why not just start with something that already contains sugar?

The simple answer is: You just don’t.

The more complex answer is: unsweetened baking chocolate brings depth to any chocoholic confection. Taste brownies made from scratch and those made from a boxed mix and you can instantly tell the difference. If they contain nuts, it’s hard for me to stop eating any brownies. But scratch brownies are different. The taste lingers longer, without being overcome with the taste of sugar.

Cocoa powder is made by processing cocoa beans and extracting 75 percent of the cocoa butter (for lotions and etc.). The remaining dark brown paste is dried, then ground into a powder known as unsweetened cocoa. Dutch chocolate is treated to neutralize cocoa’s natural acidity. This creates a darker, more mellow-flavored powder made famous by “Dutch chocolate cake” sold in the finest bakeries.

Besides making desserts, you can add cocoa powder to chili or meat stews to give them a very rich flavor. And one last great thing about cocoa powder: It can be stored for up to two years without losing its potency.

I’ll bet you have a box in the back of your kitchen cabinet. Pull it out and try these tasty recipes that have been sent to me by readers. You - and your family - will love every mouthful.


• Funny but good: Ann Noctali of Hollister says this recipe is a favorite in her Pennsylvania Dutch family. It’s a funny quirky recipe that doesn’t really come together until the end. You just have to try it for yourself, she says.


Funny Cake

For the syrup:

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla


For the cake batter:

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons grated orange zest


1 prebaked 9-inch pie shell


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the syrup: Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan. Combine sugar and cocoa in a bowl; add hot milk. Stir gently with a wire whisk until the ingredients are well mixed. Add vanilla, mix well and set aside.

Make the batter: Mix flour and baking powder together. In another bowl, mix sugar and butter with an electric mixer until pale yellow and light. Add egg and mix well. Add milk and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and the orange zest.

Pour syrup mixture into baked pie shell, then spread the cake batter over the syrup (do not mix the two). Place cake on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven about 45 minutes, or until cake springs back lightly when touched in the middle. Cool thoroughly, then serve.


• Great discovery: Jan Pinkerton of Morgan Hill gets the credit for discovering this easy and creative dessert. The great part is that the meringue (the pavlova) can be made in advance. Just add the whipped cream and berries while someone else does the dinner dishes and, voila!, dessert is served. The recipe is by Nigella Lawson and is perfect for taking advantage of summer berries.


Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

For the chocolate meringue:

6 egg whites

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped


For the topping:

2 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 pint raspberries (or other favorite berries, drained if juicy)

2-3 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Beat egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Mound onto a baking sheet in a fat circle of approximately 9 inches in diameter. Smooth the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn down the temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for about one hour. When it’s ready, it will be crisp around the edges and sides and dry on top, with some give in the middle. Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly. Allow chocolate meringue disk to cool completely.

When you’re ready to serve, put the meringue onto a big plate. Whisk cream until thick and soft and pile it on top of meringue. Scatter berries over the top, then the grated chocolate.

Serves 6 to 8.