you're gonna pav-love it (key lime pavlova!)
sorry, legally I had to
Hello angels!
Well, this is late again. I’m sorry! It’s been raining, which means I physically can’t do anything. Then it finally stopped raining after three weeks of raining, which meant I had to go roll around in the sun like a cat. That brings us to now!
Skip to the bottom if you just want the pavlova recipe!
Ohh, episode six. What’s there to say about episode six? For one, there was this moment.
Technically I submitted that picture, but, as if you couldn’t tell from that picture, I’m rarely in my right state of mind. Anyway…
I don’t know if I have much to say about this episode other than that the nostalgia bomb hit me hard while I was watching. It might be gauche to say this, but—I loved filming this show, and I love being on it! It was kind of like being part of a weird little summer camp. Just 11 people all trying to do something they love, the best way they could, for as long as possible.
Saying goodbye to Jessica was probably the hardest goodbye yet because, at that point, we’d all been there long enough to really start to feel like a little family to each other. As fun as it was, by episode six, it was starting to get hard, bitch. I missed my friends, I missed my family (both chosen and otherwise), and eating (a lot of) takeout and drinking (a lot of) warm tequila in between shooting days is really what got me through.
On that note, I guess it’s time for a pavlova recipe!
key lime (inspired) pavlova
The thing about pavlova and lime curd is that they’re not very hard to make at all. If you were, let’s say, going to be on a cooking show and afraid, perhaps, that there might be a dessert challenge, it would maybe be the perfect recipe to commit to memory. After all, there are only four ingredients in the whole thing (eggs, sugar, lime, and butter).
Now, knowing what to do with them is another story. (But it’s certainly easier than trying to remember if you need baking powder or soda and how much of which and when to add it.)
On the show, I made many mini pavlovas because I wanted them to finish cooking in time. This is a recipe for one giant pavlova because I think that’s more fun for a party. Here we go!
pavlova: ingredients
6 egg whites: You’re gonna use the yolks in the curd, so keep them—it’s also best if the eggs are room temp here, so if you can remember to pull them out of the fridge (if you store them in the fridge), do that.
1 1/2 cups castor sugar: Castor sugar is just a more-fine granulated sugar—somewhere in between powdered sugar and granulated sugar. If you can’t find castor sugar (I never can), or if you can, but it’s very expensive (it always is), you can put ~2 cups (because it will reduce in size) of granulated sugar in a blender or nutribullet or food processor and work it in short blasts until it’s broken down a bit. Poof! You’ve got castor sugar. THIS IS IMPORTANT! The finer the sugar, the easier it will incorporate into the eggs.
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice: If you can find key limes, use those! If not, just use regular times (that’s why it’s “inspired”). You will use the rest of the lime juice (and more!) in the curd
1 tsp cornstarch: it helps the pav stay chewy!
parchment paper: I know this isn’t an ingredient, but you still need some.
pavlova: method
First, preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Next, separate your six egg yolks and whites, and reserve the yolks for the curd.
If you have a stand mixer, this is a great time to use it. I don’t have one because Marc won the baking challenge, so I use a hand mixer, and that does me just fine. If you want to whisk it by hand, godspeed.
Whatever your tool of choice, whip your egg whites until stiff peaks form. This should probably take upwards of five minutes, depending on your method. After you’ve achieved stiff peaks, slowly mix in your sugar a tablespoon at a time. Do your best to allow the sugar to fully dissolve before adding the next spoonful. I am famously impatient, so this part is very hard for me. If I can do it, so can you! (A great way to test this is by sticking your finger in and rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your finger and thumb. Feel particularly grainy? Keep mixing!)
After all your sugar is incorporated, add the lime juice and cornstarch and mix for another minute or so, just to make sure everything is together. The mixture should be glossy and smooth.
Using a nine-inch pie dish (or your best guess), trace a circle onto one side of the parchment paper, and then flip it over so you can see the circle on the other side but won’t get any ink on your pav. Place that parchment paper onto a baking sheet, and then pile the pavlova mixture into the center of your circle.
Using the back of a large spoon, spread your pav out to fill the circle and create some pleasing designs on top. I like to do swoops and create some dimension in the top so that when you pour the curd over, it has some little places to pool into. This will look “rustic,” but do your best to get the mixture evenly dispersed. If you spread a little outside the circle, it’s not the end of the world but do your best to color inside the lines.
Next, pop your pavlova into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 250. The shock of the initial high heat will help seal the outside and create a crunchy exterior, but you want to cook it at a lower temp to cultivate a nice chewy center.
Bake the pavlova for about an hour. Try to keep your oven closed, but if you have an oven you can see through, check it periodically. If you notice it’s browning at all, reduce the temperature further.
Once your pavlova looks dry on the outside (again, about an hour), turn the oven off and leave your pavlova in the oven to cool completely. This step is really only important if you want to ensure that the exterior crust doesn’t crack. Pavs are delicate, and the shock of moving them from the oven to a cooler outside temperature will cause the crust to crack. PERSONALLY, this doesn’t bother me so much, but I’ll admit it is nice when the outside is uniformly solid.
key lime (inspired) curd: ingredients
six eggs yolks: I’m calling for this many yolks because I hate food waste, and this is how many you’ll get when you’re making the pavlova. This will make A LOT of curd! If you don’t want that much curd, cut the recipe by a third (so, 2 egg yolks, etc). BUT, you can keep curd frozen for a year, so feel free to use what you need and save the rest. Honestly, put it on anything. Drizzle it over yogurt in the morning, or just eat it with a spoon. Live your dreams!
1 cup sugar: Again, A LOT of curd here. Use 1/3 of a cup if you’re just using 2 yolks and tossing the rest.
1 cup (key) lime juice: What I said before.
16 tbs unsalted butter: Yeah, two sticks. It’s a lot!!!!!
Zest of 8 limes: 8 (regular) limes is about how many you’ll need to get a cup of juice. You’ll use some of the zest in the curd and keep the rest for garnish.
A healthy pinch of salt: use your best judgment.
key lime (inspired) curd: method
Cut butter into tablespoon-sized pieces (this is just so it’s easier to whisk, they don’t need to be exact, just smaller than a stick).
In a medium to large saucepan, whisk sugar, yolks, lime juice, and salt until they’re a uniform mixture. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the butter and zest, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a simmer. Once the mixture starts to rapidly boil, pull it off the heat and transfer it to a container.
If you’d like to go the extra mile, you can strain the mixture through a mesh sieve first, but I like the zest in the curd so I don’t do this. You can also press a layer of cling wrap down over the curd before you put the lid on your container to prevent a skin from forming, but I also don’t do this. Be better than me! Once covered, put it in the fridge to cool for an hour.
soft whipped cream: ingredients
This is optional but nice to top with! Would recommend!
1 cup heavy whipping cream: Make sure it’s cold!
2 tbs sugar: Bonus points if you’ve got some leftover castor (or homemade castor) sugar as it’ll dissolve easier—same thinking as with the pav.
1 tsp vanilla extract: Optional! I don’t do this!
1 pinch of salt: Optional! I do do this!
soft whipped cream: method
In a large (preferably metal, preferably chilled) bowl, whisk all your ingredients together until slightly-stiff peaks form. Set it aside in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to top!
You can do this in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer, or just with a whisk, but as with the pavlova, that will take longer! You can steal Robbie’s baking hack here if doing it by hand and place your bowl inside a slightly larger bowl that has ice in it. The cooler things are, the better your whipped cream will be!
candied lime slices (extra credit): ingredients
I think topping the whole thing with the zest is enough, but if you wanted to go the extra mile, you can do this!
2 limes, thinly sliced: Literally, as thin as possible. Get rid of the seeds.
1 cup sugar: Lot of sugar today!
candied lime slices (extra credit): method
Slice your limes, discard the seeds, and bring a pot of water to a boil. While you’re waiting for it to boil, fill a bowl with ice and water. You’re blanching the lime slices!
Once the water boils, drop in the lime slices and let them soften (about a minute). Using a slotted spoon or spider, pull them out and immediately drop them in the ice bath to stop the cooking and lock in the green color.
In that same pot, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water. Whisk over medium-high heat until the sugar fully dissolves. Drop in the lime slices and stir to make sure they aren’t sticking together.
Simmer slices for 10 minutes. Then using a fork or tongs or tweezers if you’ve got ‘em, pull them out and allow them to cool completely on a wire baking sheet (put that sheet over a baking tray or some paper towels to avoid making a mess).
It might be nice to cut the circles in half and leave some whole for decorating purposes!
Keep the lime simple syrup you just made and use it in cocktails or tea or whatever!
key lime (inspired) pavlova: assembly!
Ok, you’ve made it here! Now for the second funnest part (the first funnest part is eating).
Place your pav down on a serving dish that is a bit larger than the pav itself (the curd is gooey, and you don’t want any spillage!). Be a little delicate here, you did all that work to make sure it didn’t crack, and now you’re in the home stretch!
Using a spoon, pour a generous amount of curd down over top of the pav. Make sure to fill any crevices you created when you were swooping. Don’t be afraid if it spills over the edge, this is good spillage. Just don’t get any on the floor.
Now, either pipe (I still just fill a Ziploc bag and cut the corner, again, Marc won the baking challenge, and I don’t have any pastry items!) or spoon the whipped cream down over top. I highly recommend piping, only because you don’t want to displace too much of the curd underneath!
Finally, sprinkle lime zest and candied lime (if you did that part) over top of the cream in a way that feels fun and exciting to you!
I KNOW THIS PROBABLY SEEMS LIKE A LOT! BUT REMEMBER! I LITERALLY DID IT ALL IN AN HOUR!!! YOU CAN DO THIS! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!
Sorry for yelling, I just really do passionately believe that, literally, anyone can do this. Make a pavlova! You’re a star!
xoxo,
Garrett