mulberry pavlova

Every year about this time we wonder: Will we have any mulberries on our trees in Umbria? And if we do, will we manage to get to them before the birds do?

We planted 8 small mulberry trees about 20 years ago at our house in Umbria. They were among the very first trees we planted, in a double row leading up to the house. Over the years, through careful pruning, they have grown to form a shady canopy, stretching over the path. The leaves are bright green in the spring, and their dappled light is welcome relief during the hot summer. And in the fall, the leaves turn a sunshiny yellow just as the weather turns cool and the summer light is a distance memory.

Although we didn’t really plant the trees for their fruit, it has come to be one of the things we most look forward to. Much has to do with the unpredictability of the harvest. Depending on factors like pruning and spring time temps, we often have no berries to speak of. And then there are the birds. Birds love mulberries, and if we don’t make it up to the house during the brief window of ripeness, the crows sweep in and have a feast.

But at least every few years we manage to be there at just the right time: pruning, weather and our travel schedule combine to result in bucket loads of juicy berries.

Then our problem becomes a different one: What to do with them? Unlike our other fruit trees (cherries, plums, quince and apples) mulberries just refuse to be preserved. The jam is too watery and when I freeze them they just turn into mush. So the trick is to eat them as fast as possible, and figure out ways to work them into desserts. I’ve made pies in the past, but last weekend I had the brilliant idea to make a pavlova.

If there is a dessert that calls out for fragile, juicy berries it’s pavlova. Basically a huge meringue topped with whipped cream and fruit, it’s the perfect vehicle for enjoying berries. Also? It’s Sophie’s favorite dessert ever.

It couldn’t be simpler. Egg whites and sugar get whipped up. The meringue gets baked,. Top with whipped cream and fruit. That’s it. And if you can’t get your hands on mulberries (or have somehow forgotten to plant eight trees of them 20 years ago) feel free to use blackberries, raspberries or strawberries.

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mulberry pavlova

Prep 20 mins

Cook 3 hours

Total 3 hours, 20 mins

Author Elizabeth

Yield 6

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups mulberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180F/ 80C
2. Wash and dry berries and toss them with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper of aluminum foil.
4. Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat on high speed with a hand mixer for about a minute, until stiff. Add the sugar, a bit at a time, with the mixer still on high. Beat until stiff shiny peaks form. This should only take a couple of minutes.
5. Add the cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla and fold into egg whites.
6. Turn out the mixture onto the pan and spread into a rough 9 inch circle.
7. Bake for 1 and a half hours. Turn the oven off and let cook in the closed oven for 1 hour. The meringue should be crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside.
8. Whip the heavy cream. I like mine without sugar, but feel free to add some if you’d like.
9. Gently peel off the paper, and place on a plate.
10. Right before serving pat down the center of the meringue to form a bit of a dent. Spread the whipped cream on top, then gently ladle the berries on top of that.
11. It’s kind of a mess to serve. But a delicious mess.

Notes

For some reason my meringue always turns a bit brown. I think it’s because my oven is a too hot. But even brown, it’s still delicious.