There is so much great food at Bettina pizzeria in Montecito/Santa Barbara, it’s hard to pick from the menu! We love their Seasonal Burrata appetizer—like Fall Persimmon Burrata Sofrito—and we absolutely adore this Passion Fruit Pavlova for dessert. Luck for us all, it’s available almost year-round!

Passion Fruit Pavlova

Pavlova is an elegant dessert made with a crisp white meringue layer filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. To prevent your meringue from being flat and grainy, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Overbeaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients. Also, when mixing in sugar, add about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat until meringue is thick, white, and glossy. Make sure that no trace of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

4 large egg whites
2 cups white sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup coriander seeds
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
4 passion fruits
olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites in a large bowl until stiff but not dry. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until thick and glossy. Gently fold in cornstarch and apple cider vinegar.
Use large cookie scooper to scoop 8 large portions and place on parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven until meringue is dry and sounds hollow when tapped, about 1 hour.
While baking, make a simple syrup of water and sugar and add coriander seeds (1 cup of each). Simmer for 20 mins, then strain the seeds and set syrup aside for another use. Pan fry or deep fry the seeds in neutral oil for 3-5 minutes, place on paper towels to dry, and sprinkle with salt.
Beat heavy cream and sour cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form; set aside.
With a paring knife, carefully cut a circle in the top of each pavlova and fill the inside with the whipped cream mixture. Cut 4 passion fruits in half, and scoop out the seeds onto the top of the whipped cream. Add the candied coriander seeds on top and drizzle with good olive oil.