There’s just something exquisite about pavlova, which exudes an elegance amidst its simplicity. A pillowy soft meringue serves as the canvas for whatever the heart desires and the season provides. It lends itself as a lighter dessert that’s nothing short of satisfying with a showstopper appearance. With autumn in full swing, I like to make this Lingonberry-Poached Pear Pavlova, a variation that highlights the flavors and look of the season.   

Poached pears are a delicious treat to serve during the colder autumn months. They look beautiful and they come together in no time at all. For a bright and pinkish-red color, I like to use lingonberries in the poaching liquid, which are also in season. They have a lovely flavor that pairs wonderfully with the pears. When cooking down the poaching liquid to make the syrup, those flavors become even more enhanced and are nicely balanced with the whipped cream and airy pavlova.  

I’m using my lingonberry-poached pear recipe, which I shared before and have included in the recipe below. Feel free to swap the lingonberries with cranberries.

Lingonberry-Poached Pear Pavlova (pavlova med posjerte pære)

Serves 8 to 10

For the pavlova:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the poached pears:

• 4 ¼ cups (1 litre) cold water
• 1 1/3 cups (265 g) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (250 g) fresh or frozen lingonberries (if substituting with cranberries, chop them up first)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 to 6 firm large pears, peeled with stalks intact

For the whipped cream:

• 1 ½ cups (360 l) heavy cream
• ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar

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Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Using a pencil, draw a 9-inch (23 cm) circle on parchment paper then turn the paper over and place it on a baking sheet.   

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, a little at a time, and whip for some minutes until thick and glossy and stiff peaks form. Add the cornstarch and whip for a few seconds until just combined.

Spoon the pavlova onto the prepared parchment paper within the circle. Using a spatula, create a small crater by making the sides a little higher than the center.

Lower the oven temperature to 215ºF (100ºC). Place the pavlova in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until firm and dry on the outside. Turn off the oven let the pavlova cool completely inside the oven. Set aside.

For the poached pears, in a medium saucepan with enough room for the pears to fit, bring the water, sugar, lingonberries, and cinnamon stick to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Press the lingonberries with the back of a spoon to release their juices. Lower the heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Add the pears, submerging them completely in the liquid, and simmer for 10 minutes, turning them as needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and let the pears cool in the pan with the liquid at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. If they are floating above the liquid, place a spoon, for example, on top to keep them submerged. Remove the pears and set aside.

Place the saucepan back on the stove and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for some time until the liquid is reduced by over half and thickened to a syrup consistency. Strain the liquid to remove the berries and cinnamon stick. Set aside to cool.

For the whipped cream, whip the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form.

To serve, spread the whipped cream on top of the pavlova. Add the poached pears on top of the whipped cream, whole or cut into half, and drizzle some of the syrup on top.

You can always prepare the pavlova, pears, and whipped cream separately in advance and assemble when ready to serve.