Winter Holiday Pavlova Recipe

The Holidays are my favorite time of the year. It’s a time to catch up with family friends and eat...A LOT! Each year, we throw a big holiday party and everyone brings a dish. The appetizers and main dishes always vary but dessert seems to remain the same: sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, and apple pie (we really like pie). This year I thought I would switch it up and throw in “the new holiday dessert”. I wanted something light, yet festive with all the warm spices I love from the traditional pies. I always try to buy ingredients that are in season, so when I found beautiful persimmons at the market I just knew I could find a way to incorporate them.

Persimmons are a winter fruit with flavors of a soft & sweet ripe peach an aftertaste of a tart apricot.

I decided I would make a traditional dessert where I could incorporate my fresh market finds. Pavlova kept popping up because it is a captivating and seasonally versatile dessert. This elegant meringue can become sweet, savory, nutty, fruity, rich or light. Since winter is upon us and the crisp cool air is already knocking at my door, I decided to top mine with all the winter fruits I found at the market: persimmons, pomegranate and cranberries.

Pro tip: When buying persimmons you want to look for ones deep in color and slightly soft. This will ensure you are buying them at peak ripeness for maximum flavor. Here is my recipe!