Peanut butter pavlova

Ingredients

For the peanut butter meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 220g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 50g (1/2 cup) peanut butter powder

For the peanut butter whipped cream

• 400ml (1.5 cups) heavy cream
• 32g (1/4 cup) powdered sugar
• 50g (1/2 cup) smooth, creamy peanut butter

Method

For the peanut butter meringue

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Combine peanut butter powder and cornstarch and sift two times into a small bowl.
• Begin whisking egg whites on medium speed in a stand mixer or hand mixer until they’re frothy. When the egg whites are frothy, slowly add the sugar in spoonfuls, waiting a few seconds between each addition. Once the sugar is fully combined, add the vinegar and turn the speed up a notch for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form; the meringue will be thick and glossy and you should be able to turn the bowl over without the meringue slipping out when it’s ready (test carefully).
• Next, fold the peanut butter powder and cornstarch into the meringue slowly and gently with swift strokes. It’s okay if you can’t get it 100% emulsified; it’s better to have it slightly less combined than to over mix your meringue. Make sure it’s 90% there.
• Spoon the meringue onto the baking sheet in a thick disc about 9” (23cm) in diameter. Smooth it a little with a spoon, but it’s not necessary to make it perfect. Pavlovas are rustic!
• Place the meringue in the oven and drop the temperature to 270ºF. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour, until the meringue is crispy on top and can be removed from the baking paper and the middle is a bit firm.

Assembly

• Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and peanut butter to a chilled mixing bowl. Whisk on a medium-high speed until the cream has reached stiff peaks.
• This is optional, but you can fold in some jam.
• Flip the pavlova onto a plate, or just leave it on the baking sheet like I did, when it’s completely cool. (They don’t take long to cool!)
• Spread the whipped cream on top of the pavlova and top with fruit and jam. Serve and enjoy!

The journey to this recipe

A while back I made the chocolate hazelnut meringue cake by Studio Baked and I wondered if I could substitute in peanut butter powder for the cocoa powder in the meringue and have a peanut butter flavored meringue. So I tried it as a pavlova! It was a success! I folded some jam into the peanut butter whipped cream and sprinkled raspberries on top. I spread the meringue a little thin, so I would suggest making it about 9″ in diameter just like a regular cake. Another thing — for the peanut butter whipped cream it’s important to use smooth, creamy peanut butter, crunchy won’t whip up into the whipped cream as well. If you don’t have that or don’t feel like making it though, regular whipped cream or even cool whip would still be amazing. It’s so chewy and marshmallowy, it’s a really good dessert and nice for the summer because then the oven isn’t too hot.

The past three months have been really crazy. The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted longer than most of us expected, and it’s hit the restaurant industry as well as many others. There has been the silver lining of being able to spend a lot of time with family, but it has been strange and disorienting to not go into the bakery everyday for work. The past few weeks have been filled with grief for so many of us in the States, especially our Black brothers and sisters. We have seen on video racism and cruelty that our Black brothers and sisters have known for centuries. As we, white people, aim to grieve with them and commit ourselves to doing better, listening and learning, it’s important than we do more than just listen and learn. Here’s a few places where you can donate. The Justice For Breonna Taylor Fund, The Justice for Breonna Taylor Petition, The Ahmaud Arbery GoFundMe, The George Floyd Memorial Fund and The NAACP. Obviously, there are so many other petitions to sign and so many movements. Reading books and educating ourselves is also important. And most importantly, Black Lives Matter.