Layered Brown Sugar Pavlova with Sour Cream Whipped Cream, Meyer Lemon Zabaglione, + Macerated Berries

Layered Brown Sugar Pavlova with Sour Cream Whipped Cream, Meyer
Lemon Zabaglione, + Macerated Berries

As a food blogger, I get asked a'shit'ton of questions. Most of those questions I am perfectly happy to answer... I mean, that's why I am here, right?! Well, more so than questions, I get asked for recipe requests from family + friends. Although I want to please them right away, my Willy-Wonka-inspired-brain has about 100,000 recipes that I want to try first. So most of the time, they get put on the back burner until I am truly motivated to make whatever their little heart desires. Birthdays are a good time to make up for lost time, but in this case, I did it by creating my mother's ultimate favorite dessert, Pavlova. If you haven't had a Pavlova, you must... especially if you love meringue, which my mom is mildly extremely obsessed with. What is so wonderful about meringue is its' balance of textures. One moment is crispy + crumbly and yet somehow dissipates into your mouth like thin air. It's unbelievable. Yet when all that outer texture is gone (and the pavlova has to be cooked perfectly), but the inside remains soft, chewy, & almost-marshamallowy-like. It is fabulous. Every texture note is hit... spot-on. I especially adored this recipe because it included brown sugar, which is my favorite sugar, simply because of its molasses-like flavor and the moistness that it adds to any recipe. The brown sugar isn't a stand-out flavor, but you can certainly tell by the picture that it is most definitely an ingredient. The other components could easily be switched out... but there is something so lovely about fresh summer berries that have been macerated until their sweet juices seep out and create a sugary syrup. One little secret ingredient for the berries... balsamic vinegar. Just trust me on this one-- it will really accentuates + deepens the sweetness of the fruit. And what pairs better with sugary-berry-goodness? Well, personally, I love to pair it with some zing, some pop, a little pucker... and that's where the Meyer Lemon Zabaglione comes in. If you haven't made it before, don't fret, it ain't very hard to make. Think of a creamy lemon curd... with the added step of heavy, rigorous whisking. If you can't find Meyer Lemons, that's fine too, just sub in the classic. I just prefer to use the Meyer variety because it's toned-down acidity. In order tone down the lemony flavor + syrupy berries, the Sour Cream Whipped Cream is the ultimate cure. The tanginess of the sour cream and fluffy whipped cream smooth out all the flavors, creating the most-melt-in-your-mouth-groan-until-you-fall-asleep-moment. Yep, it's that good. This dessert has it all-- the texture, the balance of flavors, the gourmet components, and the refreshing taste of summer that is just peaking around the corner. To say the least, my mom was thrilled when I surprised her with this layered pavlova cake for Mother's Day. But hey, it would be great for any party really... especially a cutesy-tootsy brunch with pals + mimosas. I really urge y'all to give this dessert a try because it exceeded our expectations in every way possible!! Enjoy :)

the beginnings of mother's day brunch

whippin' up some brown sugar meringue... ain't it purdy

And the layering begins :)

so many macerated summer berries + their juices

aren't they gorg?

And look at that luscious Meyer Lemon Zabaglione + Sour Cream Whipped Cream

layers upon layers upon layers

even miss molly loved it too :)

For the Brown Sugar Pavlova Meringue:

1C Superfine Granulated Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

1 ½T Cornstarch

2t Vanilla Extract

2t Distilled White Vinegar

1t Almond Extract

¾C Egg Whites (from about 5-6 Large Eggs), Room Temperature

Pinch of Salt

For the Macerated Summer Berries:

1lb Strawberries, Trimmed + Quartered

1lb Blackberries

1lb Raspberries

3T Sugar

1T Balsamic Vinegar

1t Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

For the Meyer Lemon Zabaglione:

2 Large Eggs

4 Large Egg Yolks

½C Sugar

2 Meyer Lemons, Zested

1 Meyer Lemon, Juiced

¼C Marsala Wine

2T Brandy

For the Sour Cream Whipped Cream:

2C Heavy Cream, Chilled

2/3C Sour Cream

1t Vanilla

1T Confectioners’ Sugar (sifted)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with a rack in the middle. Lightly spray 3 cake pans with Pam, line with parchment paper, and dust with confections’ sugar (knocking out the excess until a light coating is left).

2. For the Brown Sugar Pavlova Meringue: Pulse the superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in the bowl of a food processor until well combined. Whisk together the vanilla, vinegar, and almond extract in a small bowl, set it aside. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add extract-vinegar mixture, and then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue into pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan) and smooth tops. Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about 1 hour (insides will still be marshmallow-like). Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour (the meringues may sink slightly and crack while cooling). Run knife along sides of cake pans and carefully turn meringues out of pans. Carefully peel off parchment (meringues will be fragile and the crust may crack further). Carefully turn right side up.

3. For the Macerated Summer Berries: Toss berries with sugar, balsamic, and vanilla; let stand at room temperature until ready to use (up to 1 hour). Season with a pinch of salt, if needed, right before layering into the Pavlova.

4. For the Meyer Lemon Zabaglione: Combine all the ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and set aside. Choose a saucepan large enough to set the bowl over and fill it with 2 inches of water. Bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg mixture in the bowl. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk vigorously until it is about triple in volume and thick and frothy. Lift the bowl off the steam a few times, while whisking, to insure that the mixture does not get too hot and scramble the eggs. The total cooking time will be about 8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Serve now, or cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and use within 2 hours. It may need to be whisked again just before serving.

5. For the Sour Cream Whipped Cream: Beat heavy cream with sour cream using an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Chill until yo are ready to use.

6. Layering the Pavlova: Put 1 meringue on a serving plate, spread one third of sour cream whipped cream over it, followed by one third of the meyer lemon zabaglione. Spoon one third of macerated summer berries, with its’ juice over top. Repeat with remaining meringues, cream, and fruit. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

source: three layer berry and brown sugar pavlova. lemon zabaglione.

Mama Jones' Famous Cranberry Relish Mold

Mama Jones' Famous Cranberry Relish Mold

I've been itchin' in anticipation because turkey day is getting so close. I posted my favorite recipes to put on the table a couple days ago, and y'all should totally make some of those... err or all of them. Either one works for me really. Well today, Peej & I got crackin' on potentially our family's favorite dish... Mama Jones' Cranberry Relish Mold. Now normally any time I hear the word, "mold", I do NOT want it. But, this my friends, is very different. It's so popular that we often have to make two of them because one almost always gets eaten before the important day. This relish might not look like anything special, but it truly is an important part of our family tradition. Fresh cranberries, oranges, apples, and toasted pecans are finely chopped up, and then stirred together with some flavored jello to hold the mold in place. I'm not quite sure where the original recipe came from, and neither do my parents, but I know it tracks back to my grandmother, MiMi, and my great grandmother, Mama Jones. These were the first women in my family to truly love cooking and make it a part of their daily life, so we always have to make this dish in honor of them. And if we don't, then I'm pretty sure my dad would slap us blind. Sometimes we add some fresh jalapeno in when we're feelin' extra spicy, but that decision is purely up to y'all!! Enjoy :)

fresh cranberries, orange peel, + cara cara oranges

Adding in the toasted pecans...

For the Cranberry Relish Mold:

1lb Fresh Cranberries

3 Large Oranges, Zested (using a peeler) & Cut into Quarters

2 Granny Smith Apples

2C Sugar

1C Toasted Pecans, Finely Chopped

2 Packs of Flavored Jello (we like raspberry, black cherry, or cranberry flavored)

1 Packet of Unflavored Gelatin

2C Strained Juice + Water

1 Medium Jalapeno, Finely Minced (optional, if you want it spicy)

Directions:

1. Toast the pecans in a pan, and then finely chop them by hand. Set them aside.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the cranberries, apples, orange zest peels, and quartered oranges (remove the bitter white pith with a sharp knife) until it is coarse and finely chopped (if you want to add in the fresh jalapeno, mince it up with the other fruit). Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes to extract as much juice as possible.

3. Strain the juice from the chopped fruit into a large measuring cup, and then fill it up with water in order to reach a total of 2C of liquid (orange juice or cranberry juice can be substituted for water instead).

4. Bring the 2C liquid to a boil and add in 3 packs of gelatin, stirring to dissolve. Let it cool slightly to set and thicken before adding it to the fruit. Pour the gelatin liquid over the chopped fruit and stir to coat and combine. Pour into a mold of your choosing.

5. Refrigerate overnight or until it has completely set and chilled.

Here are some pictures of our early Thanksgiving prep...

Southern Braised Collard Greens + Roasted Garlic-Boursin Mashed Potatoes

these... are my jam.

whippin' them up!!

Roasted Garlic-Boursin Mashed Potatoes that will turn into mashed potato casserole, yum :)

Chunky Biscoff Cookie Crust for Cheesecake

The always popular, Pumpkin-Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Homemade Mulled Five Spice Simple Syrup for Autumn Moscow Mules

Sweet & Salty Tea Hole Brownies

When I was younger, my favorite dessert that my mom used to make us was Teahole Brownies. Apparently, these brownies were famous from a small school in Gainesville, Georgia (where I was born) called Brenau University. She had kept the recipe and now I get to make them! The brownies are nothing really to exciting, but it is the thick layer of frosting that is soooo amazing. Of course the recipe that I was given is great already, but I wanted to update them a little to suit my tastes. I used my favorite brownie recipe instead and added some salt and espresso to enhance the flavors. I know the picture doesn't really do it justice, but trust me these brownies are delicious, especially right out of the oven with some warm frosting spilling over the edges. Just take my word for it and make these... please! Enjoy :)

Sweet & Salty Tea Hole Brownies

For the Brownies:

1 ¼C AP Flour

1t Salt

2T Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

11oz Dark Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Cut into 1inch Pieces

1t Instant Espresso Powder

1 ½C Granulated Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

5 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

Sea Salt, For Sprinkling

For the Icing:

1 Stick of Butter

1/3C Cocoa Powder

1 Box of Confectioners’ Sugar

1/3C Milk

Splash of Espresso

1t Vanilla

Sea Salt, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat to oven to 350 degrees and butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Line the pan with parchment paper, and then set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa power together.

3. Put the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add in the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, and then remove the bowl from the pan. Let the mixture come to room temperature before adding the eggs.

4. Add the 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add in the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add in the vanilla and stir until combined (do not overbeat). Sprinkle the flour over the chocolate mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of flour mixture is visible.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely before adding the icing.

6. To Make the Icing: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, keeping the mixture hot. Add in the remaining ingredients quickly and beat until smooth. Spread warm icing on the cooled brownies, and sprinkle with a little more sea salt. 

7. Once the icing has slightly set, lift the brownies out of the pan, using the parchment paper, and cut them into squares. Serve immediately.

Peaches & Cream Dutch Babies

Last week when I came across this recipe for German Pancakes, a million childhood memories came rushing back to me. When I was a kid, Peej used to make these all the time for us, especially after sleepovers, and I just loved them. However, we didn't call them German Pancakes, but Dutch Babies (so that's what I'm going to call them because I can). These Dutch Babies are like baked, thick crepes that are crisp on the outside, but slightly soft & chewy on in the inside. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to top them with, but we had some fresh peaches that we had bought at the farmer's market on the way to the beach yesterday, so I just immediately thought of making Peaches & Cream Dutch Babies. This was Mountain Man's first Dutch Baby, and he liked it a lot... look at him growing up soooo fast. Hah, anyway, I made the sugar & spice batter with a blender and poured it into cake pans and let them bake up until fluffy. I then topped them with powdered sugar, peaches, and fresh mascarpone-whipped cream. Obviously if you don't have peaches and cream, then you can always top it with just some maple syrup, fresh fruit, or even nutella. Mmmm I love nutella. Enjoy :)

Peaches & Cream Dutch Babies

For the Sugar & Spice Dutch Babies:

4 Eggs

1T Sugar

½t Salt

2/3C Flour, Sifted

½t Cinnamon

Pinch of Nutmeg

2/3C Milk

2T Soft Butter

For the Mascarpone Whipped Cream:

4oz Mascarpone Cheese

½C Confectioners’ Sugar

Pinch of Salt

½t Vanilla

¾C Heavy Whipping Cream  

Confectioners’ Sugar, For Dusting

Fresh Peaches, Cut into Pieces

Directions:

1. To Make the Dutch Babies: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter two cake pans well. Put the eggs into a blender, cover and process at “stir” until a light yellow color appears. Push the “mix” button and remove the cover, and then add in the remaining ingredients, processing until smooth. Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes. Once baked, slide onto hot plates. Serve the pancakes with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and top it with the Mascarpone Whipped Cream and fresh peaches.

2. To Make the Mascarpone Whipped Cream: In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir together until smooth, and then set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form (but don’t over beat). And then, fold in the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until light and fluffy.

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!*

Chocolate Chip-Banana-Zucchini Bread

Happy Mother's Day (to all the mothers out there)

but most importantly to my darling mother, Peej 

Here are some pictures of us over the years...

Christmas 2010

Garden Dinner with Peej & Eloise

Walking around Forsyth Park in Savannah

Spring Break 2007

Anyway, I decided that I would make one of my mom's recipes in honor of Mother's Day, and she has so many recipes. There's no organization to them, just baggies and boxes of all of them. So, I went through to see what I should make, and I came across Banana Zucchini Bread, which I happened to have 3 zucchinis and 2 bananas, so that seemed like a logical choice. And I have never made zucchini bread before because honestly, I don't know how I feel about a vegetable being in sweet dessert. But she reassured me that you really don't taste the zucchini, it just makes the bread more moist and that she just loves the little green flecks that are scattered throughout the bread. Here's the old recipe that I found. Apparently I wanted to cook way before I actually knew it because I was obviously already trying to re-write her recipe by the looks of my orange marker, typical. I'm not quite sure what I was trying to write or do, maybe I was trying to add a little color... I tend to do that, hence the tattoos on my body. I also made the bread in her old, vintage loaf pan, just because it makes it that much better.

Peej's Old Recipe Card

Old Loaf Pan

Well, the recipe turned out really good (I halved her recipe to only make one loaf), I messed around with it a little bit, adding a few more things and more importantly mini-chocolate chips (yum). But she definitely gave what she promised. The bread was super moist, not too sweet, and I do have to agree with the pretty little green flecks. And the chocolate chips are optional of course, but when do you ever turn down chocolate? I don't. Enjoy the bread!

Banana Zucchini Bread with Mini Chocolate Chips

For the Bread:

1C Ripe Bananas, Mashed

1C Zucchini, Grated & Squeezed Dry

1 ½C AP Flour

½C Vegetable Oil

¾C Sugar

2T Sour Cream

1 Egg, Beaten

1t Baking Soda

½t Baking Powder

1t Cinnamon

¼t Nutmeg

¼t Ground Ginger

1t Vanilla

½t Salt

½C Mini Chocolate Chips, Optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan with Pam.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, oil, egg, vanilla, and mix. Then another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

3. Next, fold in the grated zucchini and mini chocolate chips until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

4. Bake the bread for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.

5. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it and let it completely cool on a cooling rack.