Pavlova cheesecake

Pavlova is a dessert of heavenly clouds of cream with fresh berries piled on top of a meringue shell.  The cream/berry mixture is just as indulgently delicious crowning a berry, fruit or vanilla cheesecake.

Pavlova, a traditional Austrialin dessert named after Anna Pavlova, the famous Russian ballerina, is in my mind a perfect dessert. Light meringue, crunchy on the outside but marshmallowy in the middle with clouds of sweet cream loaded with fresh berries. Could anything be more delicious? Yes, you may answer and that is allowed for “in taste there is no dispute”. In all truth, when pressed to name my favorite, this would be on my list of considerations, along with several other contenders for “favorite”. Suffice it to say, it is among my favorites.

Regardless, if pavlova gets your attention, this cheesecake has everything but the meringue, which is replaced by the subtle taste of a vanilla cheesecake which is almost as smooth and creamy as meringue, with the added contrast of the crunch of a cookie cumb curst.

Fun to create your berry tableau on top, it is easily so pretty that it will catch everyone’s eye whether you got their attention with “cheesecake” or “Pavlova”. With this dessert, they don’t have to choose between the two!

Pavlova Cheesecake

Cheesecake:

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Vanilla Wafer or Graham Cracker Crust:

1 ½ cups vanilla wafers or graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons butter melted

For the Crust:

-Preheat oven to 325 F degrees

-Place Cookies or Cracker in a food processor along with sugar and pulse and process until finely crushed. Add melted butter and pulse a few times.

-Place crumbs into a 9” spring form pan and press firmly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of your pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

For the Cheesecake:

-In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (if using a hand mixer) add cream cheese with sugar and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy - about 2 minutes. (For best results, don’t over-beat , but the mixture should be smooth,)

-Add sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and and salt, and mix until well-combined - another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula a couple of times during mixing.

-With mixer on low speed, gradually add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each egg is just incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix once again, briefly. Pour cheesecake batter into crumb crust lined pan.

-Place on the the center rack of your oven and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. The edges may puff a bit and just begun to turn a light golden brown. Check at 50 minutes and if the the center is just slightly jiggly, but not liquidy, remove it from the oven. If not, give it another 5- 10 minutes. There should be a bit of wiggle in the middle. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Then use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the spring form pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the spring form pan at this point.

-Allow cheesecake to continue to cool another 1-2 hours or until room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill overnight or at least 4 hours.

-Remove the ring of the spring form pan when ready to garnish the top. Serves 8 - 10.

Pavlova Cream and Berry Topping:

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

1/3 - 1/2 cup powdered or granulated sugar (depending on your taste)

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fresh Berries - a mixture of sliced strawberries, whole raspberries, blueberries and blackberries to equal ab 1 1/2 - 2 cups

-Pour cream into a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until soft peaks have formed. Add sugar and continue to beat just until peaks stand on their own and hold their shape. Stir in yogurt and vanilla extract.

-Spread the whipped cream over the top of the chilled cheesecake in big extravagant swoops. Mix the berries together and spoon over the cream. Chill until ready to serve.

Press crumb/sugar/butter mixture to cover the bottom and half way up the sides of the spring form pan.

Bake and completely cool and chill cheesecake.  Whip cream and sugar, then stir in yogurt and vanilla.  Frost the top of the cheesecake with big swirls of the whipped cream. 

Garnish the top generously with fresh berries, then chill until ready to serve.  What a beauty!