Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce

Like a massive merengue cookie, crispy, light, airy, and puffy, but with a marshmallow-like center, this Pavlova dessert is topped with amaretto-spiked, sweetened cranberries and raspberries! If you’ve never tried pavlova, this Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce is one to start with! They’re fun to make, beautiful, unique, and delicious!

I don’t expect this Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce to be popular, sadly. I’ve made several pavlova desserts for the blog, and I LOVE pavlova. They’re easy to make, fun to make, have great presentation, and are a very unusual, but delicious dessert. I feel like there’s nothing else like them in the world of desserts. Pavlova are so unique and special.

However, they never ‘land’ with you guys! I’ve made a few others, and none of them are very popular – not because they’re not good, but because no one sees them. They don’t get shared and they don’t go viral… they go over like a lead balloon basically.

Well, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Pavlova are like a massive merengue cookie – light, airy, puffy… but instead of the whole thing being crispy, only the edges are crispy. The rest of the pavlova is like a massive marshmallow. Puffy, sweet, soft, and a little chewy. Each bite melts in your mouth! Pavlova desserts are soooo delicious, and so interesting. There’s not many desserts that are quite like a pavlova.

I love to top them with berries – I made this Triple Berry Amaretto Pavlova for Valentine’s Day a few years ago, and tinted it pink! It was so pretty, and the triple berry sauce on top was killer. For Valentine’s Day last year, I made another pavlova, this Chocolate Espresso Black Forest Pavlova. I think it’s my personal favorite. A chocolate pavlova is even more unique and special, and with cherries, chocolate shavings, and a jolt of java, it’s absolutely incredible.

Lastly, I made this Coconut Pavlova with Mango-Kiwi Compote as a springtime/Easter pavlova option, so I’ve got most of your seasons covered if you ever decide to make one of these things. The combo of flavors in that pavlova is amazing! Coconut and tropical fruit… it’s bliss.

This latest Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce was inspired by these Amaretto Crepes with Cranberry Raspberry Sauce. I wanted to make a pavlova with that sauce! It’s addicting. Sweetened berries, spiked heartily with amaretto liqueur. This is the kind of fruit sauce you want to put on everything once you taste it.

I already know that this recipe probably won’t take off like I’d love it to – my pavlova never do – but it’s so worth trying this Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce!

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Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce

Like a massive merengue cookie, crispy, light, airy, and puffy, but with a marshmallow-like center, this Pavlova dessert is topped with amaretto-spiked, sweetened cranberries and raspberries! If you've never tried pavlova, this Pavlova Dessert with Cranberry Amaretto Sauce is one to start with! They're fun to make, beautiful, unique, and delicious!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings 8

Author Sarah

Ingredients

For pavlova:

• 5 large egg whites at room temperature, and not contaminated with ANY yolk
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. almond extract

For sauce:

• 12 oz. fresh cranberries
• 12 oz. fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• whipped topping for garnish

Instructions

For pavlova:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Trace a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper, using a plate as a guide. Flip the parchment paper over.

4. In a large mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until the egg whites are foamy, about 2 minutes.

5. Gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

6. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, and the egg whites are glossy and white, about 5 minutes.

7. Beat in extracts.

8. Pile the meringue mixture onto the baking sheet in a round mound, using the traced circle as a guide.

9. Place in the oven and *immediately* turn the temperature down to 250 degrees.

10. Bake for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven, keeping the oven door closed. Do not open the oven door, or remove the pavlova. Allow it to cool in the oven for about 1 hour.

11. Remove pavlova from oven, cool completely on the pan.

12. Carefully shift the pavlova from the parchment paper to a cake plate or serving platter.

For sauce:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, sugar, amaretto, and almond extract.

2. Whisk in cornstarch.

3. Bring to a simmer, cook for 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened, and remove from heat.

4. Pour the sauce into a heat-proof bowl to remove it from all heat. It will cool quicker. Cool completely, and chill.

5. Pipe or spoon a border of whipped topping around the edge of the pavlova, or pile it in the center. 

6. Spoon the sauce over top. Serve immediately!