Whip up a gorgeous winter pavlova with pomegranates seeds, pistachio brittle, and served with plenty of cardamom cream.
My favorite winterized version of Australia’s most popular dessert! This Winter Pavlova is so moreish and just might give you that warm fuzzy feeling.
Pavlovas can be found in so many flavors, from the traditional to the exotic, and all I have to say is that there’s always plenty of CREAM involved. So, as you can imagine, I’m gobsmacked with this dessert. 
Don’t be intimidated by making your own, Pavlova’s are so much easier to make than you think, and can be made into one nice large Pavlova or into individual sizes.
For this recipe, I made the large size which is great for sharing with a large crowd at your next dinner party, just place it in the middle of the table with a pile of spoons and have at it. I pimped up the flavors by making a quick honey pistachio brittle, then I added a bit of exotic cardamom to the cream that sends the tasty factor over the edge. Oh. My. Goodness. It’s the kind of cream that you would want to face plant yourself in, so completely intentionally.
If you are more of a traditional Pavlova kind of person, you can take a look see at my other recipe, just CLICK HERE. Or if you prefer, try this Eton Mess Parfait (CLICK HERE), basically a messy Pavlova in a glass. I love an Eton Mess, it’s so forgiving and polite by ignoring any mistakes. Literally all you have to do is to crumble up some meringue, then layer it with cream and fruit and you’ve got some tasty business happening. In fact, you can take any Pavlova and create your own Eton Mess, easy peasy.
Cardamom and Pomegranate Winter Pavlova
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 pavlova 1x
Description
Whip up a gorgeous winter pavlova with pomegranates seeds, pistachio brittle, and served with plenty of cardamom cream.
Ingredients
For the Pomegranate Syrup:
- 1½ cups Pomegranate Juice
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
For the Meringue Base:
- 4 Egg Whites (room temperature)
- 1 1/4 cup Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 tsps Cornstarch
- 1 tsp White Wine Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla (use clear vanilla if you have it.)
For the Pistachio Brittle:
- 1/4 cup Pistachios (shelled and roughly chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 2 tsp Water
For the Cream:
- 1½ cups Whipping Cream
- 1 tsp Sugar (superfine is best)
- ½ tsp Cardamom (ground)
For the Topping:
- 1 cup fresh Pomegranate Seeds
- Pistachio Brittle (instructions below)
- Pomegranate Syrup (instructions below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. ***NOTE: Once preheated, and when you place the meringue in the oven, you will need to turn down the temperature to 300°F to continue baking.***
- First make a template for the meringue, measure out the amount of parchment paper needed to line your baking sheet. Using about an 8 inch salad plate, trace a circle with a pencil. Then turn the parchment over so the pencil won’t transfer onto the meringue and line the baking sheet with the template.
For the Pomegranate Syrup:
- In a saucepan, add the Pomegranate Juice, Honey and Lemon Juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until syrup is reduced by at least half, 30 – 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Pour the syrup into a container and refrigerate it until needed.
For the Meringue Base:
- In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer, whisk Egg Whites and Salt starting on low, then slowly increase to high speed. Continue to whisk for about 6 – 8 minutes and peaks start to form.
- Add in the Sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, mixing well between additions. Continue to whisk until the meringue is glossy and smooth.
- Fold in the Cornstarch, Vinegar and Vanilla, gently combining.
- On the pre-lined baking sheet, carefully mound the meringue, using the circle as your guide.
- Place in the preheated oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 300°F. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the meringue in the oven to cool completely.
For the Pistachio Brittle:
- Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper.
- In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, add only the Pistachios and toast them for about 3 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the Honey and Water, stirring to coat well, continue to cook for an additional 5 – 8 minutes.
- Transfer the Pistachios to the pre-lined baking sheet and spread out. Cool completely.
- Once completely cool, you can break apart the brittle to use as the topping.
For the Cream:
- In a large bowl, add the Whipping Cream, Sugar and Cardamom and beat on low speed, slowly increasing speed to medium high. Whip the cream until peaks hold.
To Assemble:
- Transfer the cooled Meringue base to the serving dish.
- Top with the Whipped Cream and spread out evenly.
- Finish off by topping the Cream with Pomegranate Seeds and sprinkle the Pistachio Brittle over top.
- Drizzle with the cooled Pomegranate Syrup.
Notes
You can make the Pomegranate Syrup and Pistachio Brittle 2 – 3 days beforehand. Keeping the Pomegranate Syrup stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and keep the Pistachio Brittle stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Cake, Dessert
- Cuisine: American-Italian, Australian, French
Wow this looks amazing! x
Izzy |https://pinchofdelight.wordpress.com
Thank you Izzy!!!! :)
Hey Stacey I would like to make your dessert – but there ia no quantity for honey and water in the pistachio brittle. Are you able to update this?
Hi Kayla! The amounts for the brittle are listed as 2 Tablespoons each of honey and water. It’s just enough to give it that sticky, crunchiness without making a slab of brittle. Thank you for your question and hope you enjoy!
Correction, that’s 2 Tablespoons of honey and 2 teaspoons of water. ;)