Pink Peppercorn Pavlova With Strawberries Vanilla Cream And Basil Syrup Recipes

Steps:

• For basil syrup:
• Blanch 1/3 cup basil leaves in small saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds. Drain, then transfer basil to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain; squeeze out excess water from basil. Puree basil with corn syrup in blender. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or overnight to allow flavors to develop. Bring basil syrup to room temperature, then strain through sieve into small bowl.
• For meringues:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 275°. Firmly trace six 21/2-inch circles on parchment paper, then invert onto baking sheet. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating to medium-firm peaks. Mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in small bowl. Gradually beat sugar-cornstarch mixture into meringue; continue beating until very stiff. Beat in white wine vinegar. Fold in peppercorns. Divide meringue between circles; spread to fill completely. Bake until outside is dry, about 25 minutes. Turn oven off and open door just slightly. Let meringues cool in oven until completely dry, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
• For strawberry coulis:
• Puree berries and sugar in blender until smooth.
• For vanilla cream:
• Place cream and sugar in medium bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using electric mixer, beat cream to soft peaks. do ahead Coulis and vanilla cream can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.
• Place small dollop of vanilla cream in center of each of 6 plates. Spoon circle of strawberry coulis around vanilla cream. Top each with 1 meringue. Spoon generous amount of vanilla cream atop meringues. Top with quartered strawberries and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle basil syrup over and serve.

Steps:

• Place the sugar in a small pot with 1 tablespoon water. Stir to dissolve. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and simmer until a deep caramel color. Watch carefully because mixture can burn easily.
• Remove from heat, and carefully pour in the Cognac and vinegar. Put back on low heat and swirl mixture to dissolve caramel. Remove from heat and stir in the pomegranate juice or the molasses, the peppercorns and the diced strawberries, and cook over low heat for one minute. The sauce will be thick and syrupy.
• Cool, and carefully stir in remaining strawberries. Serve over vanilla ice cream, mascarpone or panna cotta.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Whisk sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl until they are foamy and have a thick, ribbony texture, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Pour 1/4 of the sugar mixture into the egg whites; whisk until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Repeat for the rest of the sugar mixture, whisking after each addition, until all of the sugar mixture is incorporated and the egg whites are glossy and thick.
• Pour vanilla and vinegar into egg white mixture; whisk until you can lift your beater or whisk straight up and the egg whites form a sharp peak that holds its shape, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Spoon egg white mixture onto prepared baking sheet; spread out into a 2-inch high by 6-inch wide disc.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
• Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door and let the Pavlova cool for one hour.
• Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer Pavlova to a serving plate. Top with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Steps:

• To prepare meringue: heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draw a circle on the paper using an 8- or 9- inch cake pan as a guide. Flip the parchment over so the pencil marking is facing down (this ensures that the pencil won't transfer to the meringue). In bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites and salt. Begin beating at low speed, slowly increasing to high. Continue until satiny peaks begin to form; gradually beat in sugar a tablespoon at a time until meringue is stiff and shiny.
• Sprinkle in cornstarch, white-wine vinegar and vanilla, and fold in gently. Mound onto parchment within circle, and shape into a disk, flattening top and smoothing sides. Place in oven, and immediately reduce heat to 300 degrees. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off heat, and allow meringue to cool completely in oven.
• To prepare topping: in a mixing bowl, combine strawberries, vanilla, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• To serve, carefully peel off parchment and place meringue on a platter or cake stand. Gently crack the top with the back of a soup spoon to make a shallow nest for the whipped cream and berries. Whip cream until it is thick enough to hold peaks, and spoon it evenly over meringue. Cover cream with strawberries, allowing a small amount of their liquid to dribble onto cream. Serve immediately.