- 6 large egg whites
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 medium Bosc pears, cubed Peeled and cored – about 2 cups
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice From about 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 5 large firm pears Bosc or Anjou. Buy large – whole roasted pears shrink a lot
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar For sprinkling
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon Optional. Or cardamom, ground or nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream Cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Whip the meringue. Beat 6 large egg whites and 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar on high for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meringue is pearl white, glossy, and holds a stiff peak. Whip until it balls around the whisk – early on it splatters against the bowl, then it turns thick and glossy and climbs the whisk in a ball. Rub a little between your fingers: if you can still feel sugar grains, keep whipping.
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Fold in the starch. Sift 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 tsp cream of tartar over the meringue and fold gently. (Note 1)
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Shape the pavlova meringue. Trace an 8-inch circle on parchment, flip the paper over, and spread the meringue inside the line.
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Bake low. Put it into a 350°F oven and drop the heat to 225°F right away. Bake 1 hour.
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Cool it in the oven. Turn the oven off, prop the door with a wooden spoon, and leave the pavlova meringue 30 minutes. Then cool completely on the counter. (Note 2)
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Bring it to a boil. Stir 2 medium Bosc pears, cubed, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 3 Tbsp cornstarch together in a saucepan and bring to a full boil.
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Cook 60 seconds. From the full boil, cook 1 minute, stirring nonstop so the bottom does not scorch. Cool completely.
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Sugar and roast. Set 5 large firm pears on parchment in the air fryer, sprinkle 1/2 cup granulated sugar over the tops only, and roast at 325°F for 30 minutes. A regular oven runs the same temperature and times. (See post above for photo tutorial) For a fall version, stir cinnamon or another warm spice into that first sugar (Note 8).
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Turn the pears and sugar them again. Use a soft silicone spatula rather than a metal spoon - they bruise easily by now. Sprinkle more sugar over the side that is facing up, and keep roasting.
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Baste every 10 minutes. Spoon the syrup from the bottom of the pan over the pears until they are deep golden, about 1 hour 40 minutes at 325°F from the time they went in. Go by how they look rather than the clock - ovens vary, so keep going until the pears are soft through and lightly caramelized.
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Loosen the caramel. When the caramel at the bottom starts to darken, add 2 Tbsp water to the pan. This keeps it basting instead of burning, and it becomes the sauce. (Note 3)
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Stand them up and finish hot. Set the pears upright, turn the heat up to 450°F, and give them 4 to 5 minutes to color the shoulders. A broiler does the same job. Watch them - this is the part that burns.
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Whip the cream. Whip 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract for 3 to 4 minutes, to soft-medium peaks. The peak should flop over on itself, not stand straight up - never stiff enough to slice. Overwhipped? Stir in a splash of cold liquid heavy cream by hand to thin it back down, and do not put it back on the mixer.
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Anchor the pavlova meringue. Put a dab of whipped cream in the middle of the serving platter. Slide a flat cookie sheet under the pavlova meringue, lift it across, and set it down on the dab. That bit of cream glues the shell to the plate.
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Layer the pear compote. Spoon the cubed pear compote into the well, staying inside the borders of the meringue so it does not run down the sides.
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Top with whipped cream. Spread the rest of the whipped cream over the compote.
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Set the whole roasted pears in the middle – right before serving. Nest them into the center of the cream and keep them off the edges. They are caramelized and slick, so anything near the rim slides off the moment the platter moves. (Note 5)
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Drizzle the caramel and serve. Spoon the pan caramel over the pears and cream right before it goes to the table.
- Fold, do not stir: the cornstarch and cream of tartar go in at the end so the meringue keeps its air. Potato starch works for the cornstarch, and lemon juice or white vinegar for the cream of tartar.
- Cooling in the oven: a sudden drop in temperature cracks the shell. The propped-door half hour keeps the pavlova meringue whole.
- The water trick: a tablespoon or two lifts the darkening caramel off the pan so it keeps basting the pears, and that loosened caramel is the sauce you pour at the table.
- Timing: assemble an hour before serving and keep it in the fridge. That hour lets the cream set against the pavlova meringue so it does not slide off as you slice.
- Add the whole roasted pears last: they are caramelized and slick, so they slide off the moment the platter moves. Assemble everything else, carry it to the table, then set the pears in the middle of the cream – off the edges – and drizzle the caramel.
- Pears: firm Bosc or Anjou. Ripe pears collapse before the sugar caramelizes. Buy large pears for roasting whole – they shrink a lot as they give up their juice to the caramel.
- Make ahead: the pavlova meringue keeps airtight 2 days, the compote and roasted pears 2 days in the fridge with the caramel in its own jar. The pavlova cream can be whipped ahead and kept covered and cold in the fridge until you need it.
- Fall spices: stir 1 tsp cinnamon (or cardamom, ground ginger, or nutmeg) into the sugar before the first sprinkle, or drop a star anise pod into the pan. Ground spice sitting on top of a pear scorches under the broiler - in the sugar it melts into the caramel.
- Whip the meringue in a spotless bowl: any grease or one speck of yolk stops the whites from whipping up. Wipe the bowl and whisk with vinegar or lemon first.
- Whip until it balls around the whisk: early on the meringue splatters against the side of the bowl. Keep going until it is thick and glossy and climbs the whisk in a ball. Rub a little between your fingers - no sugar grains left means it is ready.
- Cool the pear compote completely: warm compote melts the pavlova cream and softens the meringue under it.
- If the caramel sets firm once cold: warm it gently, stir in a splash of water until it pours again, then cool it back down before drizzling. Warm caramel melts the cream.