Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Pavlova is an iconic dessert from Australia and New Zealand and is traditionally topped with fresh berries. In the northern hemisphere—New England in particular—winters aren’t exactly brimming with sweet, ripe strawberries and blueberries. But here’s an idea: What about punchy, tart cranberries instead? They’re a late-season, locally grown crop and you may even have an extra bag in the freezer left over from Thanksgiving. When briefly cooked with sugar, lime juice and berry liqueur, their sharpness is exactly what you want to contrast the sugary meringue.

Serves 8

FOR THE MERINGUE:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
pinch of salt
1¼ cups sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE CRANBERRY COMPOTE:
2½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
¾ cup sugar juice and grated zest of 1 lime
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon berry liqueur, such as Cassis or Chambord (or, for a local touch, try GrandTen Distilling’s Craneberry cranberry liqueur)

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM AND ASSEMBLY:
1½ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 sugared cranberries, as garnish (method below)

FOR THE MERINGUE:
Preheat oven to 300°F.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and draw a circle on the paper using a 10-inch cake pan or dinner plate as a guide. Flip the parchment over so the pen or pencil won’t transfer onto the meringue.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is opaque and soft peaks begin to form. With the mixer running, gradually sprinkle in the sugar a little bit at a time. Once all the sugar is added, increase the mixing speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. The meringue should be glossy and thick.

Sift the cornstarch into the meringue, add the vanilla extract and fold gently with a rubber spatula.

Pile the meringue into the center of the circle and use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to shape into a disc. Place into the oven, turn the temperature down to 250° and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the meringue in the oven until it is completely cool.

The meringue can be made up to 2 days ahead of time if it’s wrapped well in plastic wrap or kept in an airtight container. If the outside loses its crispness, place in a 200° oven for 30 minutes.

FOR THE CRANBERRY COMPOTE:
In a medium pot over high heat, combine the cranberries, sugar, lime juice and zest and water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer just until the cranberries begin to crack, about 2–3 minutes.

Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the cranberries while reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to the pot, add the berry liqueur and cook on high heat until it is slightly thickened and syrupy, about 3–5 minutes.

When both the syrup and cranberries are cool, combine them and set aside or refrigerate for up to 3 days until you are ready to assemble.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM AND ASSEMBLY:
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the cream on medium-high speed until it is the consistency of yogurt. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, increase speed to high and beat until nearly stiff peaks form. You want a pillowy texture so be careful not to over beat. With a little elbow grease, you can also whip by hand with a large bowl and a whisk.

When you’re ready to serve, carefully remove the parchment from the bottom of the disk of meringue and place on a serving platter (you can secure it to the platter with a tiny dollop of whipped cream so it does not slide around). Pile on the whipped cream and spoon over the cranberries and their syrupy juices. Top with a big dollop of whipped cream and the sugared cranberries. Use a large, serrated knife to slice into wedges and serve.

FOR THE SUGARED CRANBERRIES:
Toss 12 cranberries in 2 tablespoons simple syrup, strain and place on a parchment lined sheet pan to dry for about an hour. When dry, toss in a shallow bowl of granulated sugar and allow to dry again on a clean parchment lined sheet pan for another hour. Store in an airtight container at room temperature no more than 24 hours. Re-roll in sugar if needed before using. 

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2025 issue as part of a larger story, Snow White Sweets.