Chapter Nine

Pavlovas are a beautiful, marshmallowy, crunchy, decadent art piece. At their core the messy beauty of this dessert starts from the meringue base. From there on the colors that adorn this dessert all play into the creativeness of the artist. For this particular pavlova, varying shades of orange decorate it. Piled high with silky whipped cream, thick and citrusy pink orange curd, and candied orange slices, this dessert will showcase its uniqueness wherever it’s displayed.

This dessert is so much fun to make because it has no rules when assembling, throw on any seasonal fruit, your favorite syrups and ganaches, chocolates, cookies, or curds. This dessert can be a reflection of your favorite things or a reflection of the current season which is why I think they so perfectly embody an art piece. No matter how they look, they always have this ability of being gorgeous and put together, it can be messy, crackly, with uneven edges, and dripping cream and it will still have an absolutely exquisite quality about it.

Blood and Pink oranges are so special in their peak time, their taste and color are absolutely beautiful and they need a center stage on this pavlova. This dessert is part sweet, part tart, and fully delicious. If you love oranges and citrus this dessert is a must try and is a beautiful homage to the fruit we all know and love.

Seasoned Sugar- The first step to this curd is one of my favorites parts of this recipe. Zesting in all that gorgeous flavor from the citrus fruits into sugar and letting all the flavors soak and color it is always such a pretty sight and it truly deepens the overall flavor of the curd!

Orange Curd- This pink orange curd is so special and the flavor of the juice of your oranges will determine the overall taste so make sure you like the quality of it! Make sure to keep your heat low and watch your curd as it's easy for the eggs to cook since it's not over a double boiler. If you prefer the safety net of a double boiler go for it, as you won't have to be as careful about the eggs cooking.

Candied Orange Slices- Any fruit candied is so delicious but there's something extra special about citrus being candied. Something about the flavors and the natural tartness of citrus fruits becomes extra special after steeping in a sugar mixture and it tops this dessert perfectly. It’s the final note to an already amazing pavlova. This sweet, chewy, topping elevates both its flavor and looks into something unforgettable.