Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova - a toast to summer 2012!

I have been a BAD BLOGGER.  YUP, it's not that I haven't been cooking or baking or creating or even obsessing over what "my next post" will be - I've honestly just let "life" get in the way.  September - practically came...and went.  I'm another year older (eeek, that's enough stress on it's own!), the weather has started to turn... and it seems like when I get a chance to sit down in front of the computer and type, something else always seems to pop up!  WELL... that's it, I'm putting my foot down, now here I sit, computer on lap, Duke Dog curled up next to me...  My mind drifting and  I'm reflecting back on the summer... wondering.. WTF where did it go!?!?! It seems like ages ago I was rambling on about Blueberries (yup, freezer is still full of em'!) and the HOT HOT HOT weather.  Now, we're starting to prepare for the cold months ahead, and instead of patio BBQ's - long summer nights - we're eating inside, round' the dining room table, being all "grown up and stuff". ha ha  Here's my "official" disclaimer for this post: I LOVE Pavlova.  YES, not too long ago I posted a Blueberry-Lemon Pavlova... BUT I just HAD to make another one, of course switiching it up... making it "less summery" more decadent. nuff' said.  Once you try this version... you'll understand why...  This is what I came up with, and I think I fell in LOVE with PAVLOVA all over again...  Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova.

I won't dilly-dally around the recipe and details... in fact.. I'll make it short and sweet - oh-sooooo-sweet - mmm chocolate... The addition of unsweeted cocoa powder, and a handful of high quality dark belgium chocolate chunks takes the melt-in-your-mouth meringue crust to an entirely new level of awesomeness...  Real whipped cream sweetened lightly, fresh strawberries sliced and piled into the center and of course the addition of more dark chocolate chunks round out this decadent - but somehow light tasting - dessert.  YUP.  L-O-V-E.

Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova

Pavlova:

• 4 Egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup chopped dark beligium chocolate chunks
• 2 cups real whipping cream, slightly sweetened
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

- Preheat oven to 275F

- Follow directions for making the meringue found here up until you've got the meringue with stiff, glossy peaks

- Sift the cocoa powder onto the meringue

- Sprinkle in half (1/2 cup approx) of the dark chocolate chunks, and carefully fold them into the meringue.

- On a parchment lined baking sheet, spoon out a circle of meringue, and carefully form a birdsnest shape

- Bake at 275F for 1 1/4 hours, or until meringue has a golden colour, and is not sticky to touch
- Let cool in oven, with the door slightly open
- Once cooled, carefully remove from baking sheet and place on a serving plate

- Carefully spoon whipped cream into center

- Add Strawberries, and sprinkle remaining chocolate chunks on top! 

YUP - pretty sure I could make this dessert over and over... variation upon variation, and STILL it'd come out as one of my fav's. .... ENJOY!!!

SO, as we move on from Summer 2012... I'd like to propose a toast....

Here's to the great times spent with friends new and old.  Here's to the awesome memories made ... and Here's to what lies ahead in the autumn months!  Now BRING ON FALL!! *CHEERS*

Blueberry-Lemon Pavlova with a stroll through the Alpine Meadows

My all time FAVORITE dessert has always been Pavlova.  I love how the meringue just melts in your mouth.  I love the real whipped cream (who doesn’t LOVE real whipped cream). I love that it is so versatile.. changing the flavours ever so slightly each time you make it keeps the variations endless as you use whatever fruit is in season.  You can create any flavor combos you’d like, fresh fruit – canned fruit – chocolate –custards-whatever your heart desires, it’s still going to be a phenomenal dessert.  Since it’s Blueberry season (and I still have at least a year’s supply), I thought I’d mix mine up a bit, and instead of using just fresh whole berries/whipped cream, I’d make a super simple berry sauce to drizzle on top.  The results: a perfectly delicate-light-melt in your mouth dessert. Blueberry-Lemon Pavlova.

Pavlova reminds me of growing up, I can remember no matter how full I was (or one time how SICK I was) there was always room for at least a serving-or two.  I can remember my cousin making a huge one, piping delicate crisscrosses and weaves forming a gorgeous meringue shell in the shape of an over-sized birds nest, dolloping whipped cream and then topping off with pounds of fresh fruit, adding candles and serving it as a deluxe birthday cake.  Stunning.  There was another time where I can remember the road trips out to my grandparents for Easter, and with all the family around – that was the show piece worthy dessert.  Time goes by so fast! Those moments seem like ages ago!  It’s funny how certain moments in time just stick with you.

One thing my honey and I tend to do on our little trips around is take detours – mini-road trips.  I love the fact that he knows our beautiful province so well, and what could technically be the same boring drive every weekend, turns into a mini-adventure making another lasting memory.  A few weeks back, on what would typically be just our straight “commuter” drive home from the lake; we took “the long way” home and made a little detour… Creating a memory I’ll never forget.  It was just before sunset as we headed up a dirt road, full of steep, sharp switchbacks.  Winding our way up to “Alpine Meadows” which is located in Manning Park, British Columbia.  All I can say is WOW.  Breathtaking.  The lighting was perfect, the wildflowers in bloom (and mosquito’s were hungry) BUT the sights to see made it all worthwhile!

Pretty sure our GPS was a little confused… as we were  definitely NOT in a grassy green meadow, those were some STEEP cliffs! Duke Dog had a grin on the entire detour… not that he knew what we were doing… but didn’t matter…he was enjoying the ride J It felt like we were driving to the top of the world!

Once we parked up top, there are maps of trails – areas where you could literally get lost backpacking for days on end through the mountain ranges. YUP – add another thing to my bucket-list, hiking the trails up there. Then – there was the wildflowers.  Stunning colours, absolutely amazing how these delicate flowers and plants can grow in such a harsh and extreme climate.  We were probably about a week late for the full bloom, which I can’t even imagine what the alpine meadows would look like then!

The sun was setting which casted a warm glow over everything.  I could have stayed up there for hours playing with my camera, taking in the views.

These plants were kind of cool (I think anyways), looked like a bunch of “Cousin Its” just growing in the alpine.

The Thistle’s purple colour seemed to glow neon in the light, and they were huge, growing right along the rocky cliff side road.

As we left the Alpine Meadows, the sun painted the clouds above in reds, purples, oranges and pinks.  Definitely an evening I will not forget… quite possibly one of my new favorite places to visit now during the summer wild flower bloom.  xorxor honey!!

NOW - back out of dream land, and on to the YUM YUM's.... :)

Blueberry-Lemon Pavlova

Pavlova

·         4 Egg Whites

·         Pinch of salt

·         1 cup Sugar

·         1 tablespoon vinegar

·         Whipping cream (mixed, with addition of sugar to taste)

- Preheat oven to 275F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper

- Beat egg whites/salt  using the whisk attachment on your mixer until soft peaks form

- Gradually mix in sugar, beat well after each addition

- Add vinegar, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form

- Using a spoon or spatula, mound the meringue into a circle on the cookie sheet that is lined with parchment

- Build up the circle forming a shallow birds nest.  Be creative here, to make it “fancy” you can put the meringue in a piping bag and pipe out designs.  BUT, back of a spoon/spatula works just fine here too!

- Bake at 275F for 1 ¼ hours.  Meringue should be creamy coloured (bake 15 more minutes if still sticky)

- Let cool in oven with the door slightly cracked open

Blueberry-Lemon Sauce

·         1 tbsp Cornstarch

·         ½ Cup Sugar

·         2 Cups Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

·         2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

·         Zest of 1 small lemon

·         1 tsp Vanilla Extract

·         Pinch of salt

- Add cornstarch and sugar into a small saucepan, whisk to mix

- Add blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt, stir to mix well

- Using a potato masher – mash berries, bring berry mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat , stirring frequently

- Turn heat down, and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

- Remove from Heat and let cool

Putting it all together:

- Carefully removed cooled meringue from cookie sheet and put on plate

- Spoon/pipe whipped cream into center of meringue shell

- Spoon Blueberry-lemon sauce on top of whipped cream, use back of spoon to swirl mixture in a little.

- I also topped with additional fresh blueberries for looks!

-Serve immediately!

Cheers!!