Holiday Cranberry Meringue Wreath

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Holiday Cranberry Meringue Wreath

Course:

Dessert

Seasonal Event:

Christmas

DIRECTIONS:

PAVLOVA:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Trace a 10-inch-diameter circle on a piece of parchment paper with a pencil and place the parchment onto a baking sheet, traced-side down. This will be your template to follow for your wreath.
3. Whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt on medium-high speed in a stand mixer (or hand mixer) until soft peaks form.
4. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and the sugar has dissolved when you run the mixture between two fingers.
5. Beat in vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
6. Transfer mixture to a large piping bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe evenly spaced mounds (roughly 2 inches in diameter and 2 inches high) onto the parchment with the pre-traced circle.
7. With the back of a spoon, create a hollow in each mound to create a space to be filled once it’s baked.
8. Bake until ring easily lifts off parchment, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off heat; let stand in oven for about 1 hour with the oven door cracked open.
9. Once it is cooled, spoon a dollop of the cranberry curd and fresh whipped cream
10. Garnish with sugared cranberries and sugared rosemary and/or unsugared cranberries and rosemary

SUGARED ROSEMARY AND CRANBERRIES:

1. Place ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Cook while stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.
3. Remove from heat and add a handful of cranberries (about 1/2 cup).
4. Allow berries to sit for 4-5 minutes in the sugar water mixture.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove cranberries from the saucepan and place them on a baking rack or parchment paper for about 10 minutes.
6. Repeat with additional cranberries.
7. Repeat with the rosemary sprigs.
8. Place 1 heaping cup of granulated sugar or sparkling sugar in a small bowl.
9. Add a few cranberries at a time and use fingers or a small spoon to gently roll in the sugar to coat completely.
10. Place on a clean baking rack to dry.
11. Repeat with remaining cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

Allow them to dry at room temperature for one hour.

CRANBERRY CURD:

1. Combine the cranberries and water in a small saucepan over medium heat
2. Cook until the cranberries pop and the liquid bubbles
3. Use a spatula to smash and break up the berries
4. Once the berries have all popped, remove from heat
5. Press the cranberries through a strainer into another bowl
6. Be sure to scrape all of the puree on the underside of the strainer into the bowl as well
7. Pour the cranberry puree back into the saucepan and set aside for a moment
8. Whisk the egg yolks and egg together until combined
9. While whisking, pour in the sugars and whisk until lighter in color
10. Whisk a small amount of the cranberry puree into the egg mixture to temper the eggs
11. Add the egg mixture to the cranberry puree in the saucepan, and continue whisking until well incorporated
12. Place over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8-10 minutes
13. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
14. Strain, again, into a bowl to remove any lumps that may have been created
15. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or pour into glass jars and allow to cool, then refrigerate

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