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Ottolenghi Fig and Cinnamon Pavlova

Fig and cinnamon Pavlova on a cake stand lined with parchment paper.
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5 from 14 reviews

Fig and cinnamon Pavlova is an Ottolenghi-inspired dessert with a crisp cinnamon meringue shell, hazelnut praline cream, and fresh figs finished with honey and pistachios. It is a summer twist on the classic Pavlova, perfect for any celebration.

Ingredients

Scale

For the meringue:

  • 1/2 cup (122 g) egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (125 g) caster sugar 
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the praline cream:

  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut praline
  • 2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons (200 g) cold heavy cream, 30% fat
  • 1 1/2 cups (360 g) cold mascarpone cheese

For assembling:

  • 1 oz. (30 g) raw pistachios 
  • 1 lb. (454 g) fresh figs
  • 3 tablespoons honey

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Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Prepare a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Draw a 9-inch (23 cm) circle with a pencil, then turn the paper so the ring faces down.
  2. To make the meringue, prepare a water bath. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites, caster sugar, and brown sugar with a hand whisk.
  3. Bring the pot to the water bath and beat for 4 minutes with the hand whisk. Make sure the water in the bain-marie (water bath) is not boiling; it should be simmering.
  4. Once the sugar is melted, remove the bowl from the water bath and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, until the meringue becomes stiff and glossy. Add ground cinnamon and whisk for 20-30 seconds.
  5. Spoon the meringue into the center of the circle, then shape the nest with a bent spatula or a metal spoon. Try to lift the edges of the meringue nest.
  6. Bake for 3 hours. Once the meringue is ready, do not remove it from the oven. Let the meringue cool in the switched-off oven for 2 hours. 
  7. To make the praline cream, place cold heavy cream, cold mascarpone, and hazelnut praline in a bowl of the stand mixer and whisk for 1 minute. Refrigerate it till assembly.
  8. To assemble the Pavlova, garnish the center of the dessert with the praline cream and arrange fresh figs cut into 1 cm thick rings. Warm the honey in a water bath, then add the raw pistachios. Pour the honey-and-nut mixture over the figs. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Make sure the metal bowl is clean and dry before whisking the egg whites. Any residual moisture or grease traces prevent egg whites from whisking.
  2. Opt for homemade or store-bought superfine baker's sugar.
  3. Don't open the oven door during baking.
  4. Avoid over-whisking the praline cream to prevent its splitting. If the cream begins to split, add some cold heavy cream and whisk again.
  5. Refrigerate the praline cream until assembling the dessert. Once you fill the meringue shell with cream and fresh figs, serve immediately.  

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/cinnamon-pavlova-yotam-ottolenghi/