Our March Hungry Guest Recipe of the Month celebrates the season with a beautiful Spring Pavlova topped with poached rhubarb, mascarpone cream, and candied pistachios.
This classic dessert, named after ballerina Anna Pavlova, is the perfect canvas for vibrant spring flavours. Gently sharp, blush-pink rhubarb is poached until tender, layered over silky mascarpone cream, and finished with crunchy candied pistachios for texture and colour.
Light, fresh, and effortlessly elegant, it’s a stunning seasonal centrepiece for Spring gatherings and Mother’s Day celebrations.
Ingredients:
Pavlova
3 x egg whites
175g caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp vanilla extract
Poached rhubarb
300g forced rhubarb
100g sugar
200g water
Zest of a blood orange
Mascarpone cream
200g mascarpone
200g double cream
50g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Candied pistachios
75g pistachios
50g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
Salt and pepper
For the pavlova:
Preheat the oven to 120 degrees C
Place the eggs whites, vanilla, and vinegar in a mixing bowl
Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks
Slowly add in the caster sugar and whisk until glossy and smooth
Fold in the cornflour
Spoon out onto a tray lined with baking parchment
Bake in the oven for 90 minutes
Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool fully
For the rhubarb:
Combine the water, sugar, and orange zest in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer
Add the rhubarb to the pan and allow to poach gently for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness. Cook until tender
Remove the pan from the heat and allow the rhubarb to cool in the liquor
For the mascarpone cream:
Place double cream and sugar in a bowl and whisk to soft peaks
Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone
For the pistachios:
Add the water and sugar to a pan and bring to the boil
Using a thermometer, bring the sugar to 150 degrees c
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pistachios
Pour out immediately onto a tray lined with baking parchment
Allow to cook, and then roughly chop
To assemble:
Remove the segments from the blood orange.
Cut the poached rhubarb into bite sized pieces.
Place the cream directly on top of the pavlova.
Spread the rhubarb and blood orange over the cream.
Sprinkle the candied pistachios over the top of the pavlova.