Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Raspberries | www.floatingkitchen.net

Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Fresh Raspberries

This post was originally published here on April 18, 2065. I’ve since adjusted the recipe instructions slightly. And I’ve updated the text and photographs. I hope you try out this pretty Spring/Summer dessert!

Pavlovas have become my go-to Spring dessert. I could tell you that it’s because of their light, crisp outer shell. Or it’s because of their soft, chewy marshmallow-like interior. But it’s really because they look like little nests. And nests remind me of all my favorite Springtime symbols, like Easter and baby birds!

I have two other pavlova recipes on the blog, which you can find here and here. They are full of great tips and tricks. I highly suggest giving them a read if you’re new to making pavlovas.

Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Raspberries | www.floatingkitchen.net

My biggest tip for making these Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Raspberries is to make the meringues smaller/taller than you might think. The meringues will spread out some during baking, and you don’t want them to end up too flat/thin. But the meringues in this recipe tend to spread out even more than my others. I think it’s because the chopped pistachios add a bit of moisture and fat to the meringue batter. And moisture and fat aren’t friends with meringues.

Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Raspberries | www.floatingkitchen.net

I had fun experimenting with making papaya curd. The flavor is subtle (compared to lemon curd, which has a strong lemon flavor). But I love the little bit of tropical sweetness it adds to this recipe.

These Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Raspberries are also naturally gluten-free! I love that about them. They would be an excellent dessert for Easter or Mother’s Day. If you try them, let me know!

Cheers,

Liz

Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Fresh Raspberries

Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Fresh Raspberries

At a Glance:
Yield: Makes 8 pavlovas
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Papaya Curd:

  • About 3/4 cups cubed papaya flesh
  • Juice and zest from 1 lemon
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed

For the Meringues:

  • 3 egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 
  • 1/8 tsp. salt 
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped

For Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • About 1 pint fresh raspberries
  • Shelled pistachios, finely chopped
  • Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

  1. Make the papaya curd. Add the papaya flesh, lemon juice and zest to your blender. Blender on high until smooth. Measure out 1/2 cup of the purée and transfer it to a clean bowl. Discard any remaining purée. Add the sugar and egg whites and stir to combine. Set aside.
  2. In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Then whisk in the purée mixture. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. 
  3. Place a fine mesh strainer over a clean bowl and strain the papaya curd, using a spatula or spoon to help push as much of it through the strainer as possible. Discard any collected solids. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in your refrigerator to chill the papaya curd for at least 2 hours before using. The papaya curd will thicken as it cools. It can be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
  4. Make the meringues. Pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees. Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper and set them aside.
  5. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on low speed for about 1 minute. Then increase the speed to medium and whisk for another 2 minutes. The egg whites should have small, uniform bubbles throughout.
  6. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Then with your mixer on medium speed, slowly add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the egg whites. Once all the sugar/cornstarch mixture has been added, increase the speed to high and whisk until the batter is thick, white, glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 4-5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and pistachios and whisk until incorporated.
  7. Using a large spoon, scoop the batter out onto your prepared baking sheets into 8 mounds, placing 4 on each baking sheet. I like to use an off-set spatula to help shape and smooth the sides of the mounds. Then using the back of the spoon, I create a small indent in the middle of each mound. Be careful not to make the mounds too thin/flat, because they will spread out during baking. If this happens, you can use the back of the spoon to coax/lift the batter back up into a taller shape. 
  8. Transfer the baking sheet to your pre-heated oven and reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake the meringues for 50-55 minutes. They should feel dry to the touch when they are done. Turn your oven off and let the meringues rest in the oven as it cools, about 20 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet and allow the meringues to finish cooling at room temperature. Cooled, undecorated meringues can be used immediately. Or stored in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
  9. Make the whipped cream. Place the bowl of your mixer and the whisk attachment in your freezer for about 2-3 minutes to chill them. Then remove them from the freezer and immediately add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl and start whisking on medium-high speed. Once the cream starts to thicken, increase the speed to high and continue whisking until soft peaks form. 
  10. To serve, spoon some of the papaya curd into the center of each meringue. Top with whipped cream, raspberries, pistachios and mint. Enjoy immediately.

34 comments on “Pistachio Pavlovas with Papaya Curd and Fresh Raspberries”

  1. How pretty are these Liz?! Just gorgeous! The colors are just beautiful, and that papaya curd sounds fabulous! Have a great week!

  2. The warm weather is finally starting to hit and I’m loving it! These pavlovas looks gorgeous, Liz! I love the papaya curd. Sounds so fresh and delicious!

  3. How pretty are these pavlovas? They are almost too pretty to eat! Almost 😉

  4. Loving the sound of that papaya curd – never tried anything like that before!

  5. Oh my! The colour of that papaya curd is awesome 🙂 Love all the colours and flavours going on here!

  6. That papaya curd is stunning! Love these pavlovas 🙂

  7. Papaya curd?! I’m so intrigued by this, and these pavlovas are so incredibly gorgeous! The flavor combination is brilliant. I need to try this!!

  8. Liz. I have never made papaya curd (never actually made curd before?!) but that sounds like the perfect way to transition from winter to spring…or more like spring to summer over here! These pavlovas look perfect!

  9. These are just sooo pretty!! Why don’t I use papaya more often??

    • I love papaya, but sometimes I forget about it. It’s usually kind of hidden in the grocery store. But I’ve been on a bit of a kick lately!

  10. These look beautiful, Liz!! It’s been really nice and warm here too lately, although I know soon it will be way too hot! At least there is ice cream though 🙂 I’ve never actually eaten a pavlova before but they look really delicious!

  11. We’re starting to get warm weather and I’m absolutely loving it! I’ve never tried a papaya curd, but it sounds absolutely delicious. These pavlovas are almost too pretty to eat!

  12. Whoa! These pavlovas looks amazing. Truth, I am so scared to make them that clearly I am missing out!!

  13. Could these look anymore like SPRING!!!! It’s a little dreary here today, not gonna lie, but I think these are gonna really brighten up my saturday.

  14. These look gorgeous Liz! Pinning to try them!

  15. These look awesome! I just made a strawberry curd which was delicious, but papaya sounds amazing! Gotta try it 🙂

  16. Hi! Just made this! It’s a great idea and they can look so beautiful, but i found they awfully sweet… I could barely taste the papaya and mine was very ripe and tasty… I would definitely cut the sugar at least in half.

  17. These look amazing, I have made curd lots of times for my scones. I was looking for a different curd when I found this! I usually put egg yolks in my curd. So hesitant to use egg whites in the curd, as it seems to me it will just scramble. I just want to make sure the egg whites aren’t a typo in the curd. I was thinking the whites for the pavlovas and the yolks for the curd? Looking forward to trying these.

Leave a Reply to Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *