Blueberries, Bluey, Pavlova, and Aquafaba—Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Café

Sweet Pea, the oldest grandchild, now nearly four years old, is still quite diminutive, but there is nothing tiny about her vocabulary and communication skills.  I noticed when her pronunciation of strawberry and blueberry was a little off, but didn’t give much thought to it.  Until her parents brought it up at dinner one night. 

In the future, we’ll all be able to identify which children were raised with Bluey.

You’ve surely seen Bluey merchandise in the stores.  I was fortunate to snag an 8-pack of Bluey chapstick for something like a dollar after Christmas.  All Sweet Pea received for her birthday last year was Bluey-related.  We grandparents knew we couldn’t go wrong with it.

And you probably also know that the Bluey animated cartoons come to us from Australia, complete with Australian pronunciation and accents.  (For the uninitiated, Bluey is truly refreshing entertainment on many levels.  It’s clean, dads aren’t portrayed as doofuses, family relationships are positive and normal, and it’s entertaining even for adults watching without children.)  It’s been noted that American children are now pronouncing strawberry, blueberry, and similar words like Australians do.  STRAW-burr-ee, BLUE-burr-ee. 

We’re going to have to make a concerted effort to help Sweet Pea say these words correctly. 

And so I thought I’d make a treat to help her.  She had to pronounce blueberry correctly before she was served.

About 115 years ago, the renowned Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova burst onto the ballet scene, captivating audiences around the world with her beauty and grace.  Someone with culinary skill Down Under was so charmed that s/he created what has since become something of a cultural dessert named for her.  As pavlova enjoys widespread popularity there, it’s also featured even in animated cartoon characters’ cuisine.

Sweet Pea’s been fascinated with this favored Bluey dessert for a couple of years now, as it is frequently served for holiday celebrations in Bluey's world.  It consists of a meringue nest filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh berries. 

Of course, meringue is made with egg whites, and by the time the banks finish processing loans for eggs, well, no one can afford to use them for dessert.

But what if we could make the meringue with aquafaba instead?  This is one recipe where the aquafaba truly shines.  No one would ever guess it’s made with garbanzo bean juice.  Instead, they’ll be wondering how you made your fortune (to afford such a luxury as eggs in dessert) and asking you to share your wealth-building secrets.

Pavlova

6 tablespoons aquafaba (or 3 egg whites)

Pinch cream of tartar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

2 cups whipping cream

¼ cup sugar, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

4 cups strawberries or other fruits (Strawberries are popular in the UK, pineapple and passionfruit are big in Australia, kiwifruit in New Zealand.  Sweet Pea insisted that Bluey has blueberries in hers.)

In a large bowl, beat the aquafaba with cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until glossy peaks form.  Fold in the vanilla.

On a foil-lined cookie sheet, spread the meringue into a 10” circle, using a spatula to push up the  edges to form a ridge and making the center thinner, like a bird nest. 

Bake at 275°F for 90 minutes, or until firm to the touch.  Turn the oven off and let the meringue dry in the oven.  Remove foil and let cool completely.  Place baked meringue on a serving platter.

Beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Mix in the sugar and vanilla, if desired.

Prepare the fruit filling.

Just before serving, spread the whipped cream over the meringue and top with fruit.  To serve, cut into wedges.

Variation:  Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the base layer. Or a tablespoon of beet powder to color it pink.

Family reviews:  The sugar and vanilla added to the whipped cream are American twists to the recipe.  The original uses only whipped cream for the whipped cream filling.  This dessert is very easy to make.  And it tastes great.  The meringue is crispy, not soft and marshmallow-y in the center like some are.  And you can’t go wrong with fresh (or frozen) fruit and cream.  It’s fabulous being able to use aquafaba instead of eggs for this dish.  Sweet Pea loved it.  I’d give it 4.5 stars.  So would Aaron.  OK, maybe 5.  I just got back from eating some of the leftover pavlova.  We all knew it would collapse a little bit.  But it didn’t get soggy.  It still tasted really good.  

Note.  I tried using pinto bean aquafaba (it was quite starchy), and could not get stiff peaks to form.  Be forewarned if you try to use it for pavlova.

Links to related posts:

Aquafaba:  What It Is and Why You Want It