Lesson #71: Pavlova with Cranberry Orange Compote

I love the convenience of make ahead desserts around the holidays. I'm usually in charge of making both the savory and sweet components of a meal, so I need all the time I can get.

The AMAZING thing about this meringue and compote is that they can be made several days in advance. You store each part separately and top with meringue with compote right before serving. In fact, I made both components to this dessert three days before we enjoyed it! The meringue is crunchy on the outside and tastes like marshmallows on the inside. The compote is just tart enough to offset the sweetness of the meringue. DELICIOUS!

LESSON LEARNED: Make ahead desserts are a time saver!

Recipe for Pavlova with Cranberry Orange Compote

Lesson #7: Pavlovas with Orange Curd

When I received my Food & Wine magazine for September, I was completely enthralled by a dessert that at first glance looked exactly like an egg. I thought it was a really neat idea to present a meringue (i.e. baked, sweetened whipped egg whites) and curd (i.e. custard - usually containing citrus) dessert. Yesterday, I thought I would give it a shot because I had a few hours between the two classes I teach on Monday. Surprisingly, it wasn't very time consuming - at least with the hands on time because the meringues take an hour to bake - AND I didn't even get my dress clothes messy. :)

When we tried it last night after dinner, it was excellent! The meringues were a bit crunchy on the outside and slightly chewy in the center and when you mixed it with the curd, the citrus cut some of the sweetness of the meringue. Check it out below!

Recipe for Pavlovas with Orange Curd

LESSON LEARNED: Even fancy looking desserts can be whipped up in no time!