White Chocolate Pistachio Pavlova
Challenged to create a recipe based on a favourite Christmas movie, this white chocolate pavlova was born! Can you guess the movie that inspired this recipe?
If you guessed Christmas With The Kranks you’d be right! It’s such a fun movie to watch at Christmas. It is almost silly to a fault, but buried within that silliness is such a great message that reveals itself at the end!
Based on the book Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, One of my favorite scenes is near the very beginning. It is the starting point to how Luther gets the idea of “skipping Christmas”.
When I saw this movie for the very first time, I had to giggle at that scene, as I could almost see it played out in one way or another in my own life!
In case you haven’t seen the movie, this scene goes like this…On the way home from the airport, in the pouring rain Nora Krank announces she needs to stop at the market to pick up white chocolate and pistachios because she has to make a dessert from the art club.
Luther Krank protests as it is pouring rain, but he gives in when Nora says she will go herself.
He comes back with a little white grocery bag, and the conversation goes like this…..
Nora: You forgot the white chocolate!
Luther: They didn’t have any.
Nora: Did you talk to Rex?
Luther: Who’s Rex?
Nora: The butcher.
Luther: …as odd as it sounds, I didn’t think to ask the butcher where the chocolate was!
If you have seen the movie then you know his trip back into the store to”ask the butcher” didn’t end well.
The entire scene really could easily have been Tim and I!
While hickory honey ham also played a big part in the movie and could be a great start to some delicious holiday recipes, I had my sight set on using white chocolate and pistachios to create an elegant dessert fit for an Art Club as Nora was planning for.
This white chocolate pistachio pavlova really couldn’t be easier to make, but looks fancy schmancy. I added pomegranate seeds to add a pop of red.
I think it looks a bit like a snow drift topped with jewels. Simply perfect dessert for the occasion.
A fluffy meringue shell filled with creamy white chocolate mousse, sprinkled with chopped roasted pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
Chefs tips:
- always use a very clean bowl to whip egg whites as any film in the bowl the egg whites will not whip properly
- Prepare the white chocolate mousse filling while the shell is baking and cooling, as it needs to be chilled prior to being added to the cooled meringue
- chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment before whipping the cream
- if possible, add the mousse to the meringue as close to possible to serving time
- can be refrigerated for up to one day in my experience
It’s the perfect dessert for your holiday celebrations! Not only is it easy, but festive to look at and delicious to eat!
Thankfully Tim didn’t have to run through rain or ask the butcher where to find the white chocolate for me to make this White Chocolate Pistachio Pavlova!
I would love to know what your favorite Christmas movie is, and what would you be inspired to make based on that movie! Leave me a comment to let me know.
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
- 6 oz good quality white chocolate baking chips
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- To prepare baking sheet, draw an 8" circle onto a sheet of parchment cut to fit your baking sheet. Place the parchment with circle facing down as to not allow ink to transfer to meringue.
- In the bowl of a mixer, using whisk attachment, whip egg whites until frothy. While still whip, very slowly add the sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. (About 3 minutes). Add the cornstarch and vanilla, and whip a few seconds to blend.
- Transfer the egg whites to the parchment paper and using a spatula spread to fill the circle, creating a shallow well in the center to about 1 1/2 inches from the edges, swirling the egg whites as you go.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for 80-90 minutes, until shell is start ever so slightly starting to brown. Turn of the heat and leave the meringue in the oven, using a wooden spoon to prop the oven door open. Allow the oven to completely cool before removing the meringue.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine white chocolate and 1/3 cup of the heavy cream. Heat gently until chocolate is fully melted and blended with the cream, stirring often.
- Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool.
- Whip the remaining cream to stiff peaks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture until well blended. Refrigerate until meringue shell comes out of the cooled oven.
- Pour the white chocolate mixture into the center of the cooled meringue, spreading to fill the center well.
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
- Best served within a day. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Well, I don’t know how this tastes, but if tastes anywhere near as good as it looks it will be phenomenal. I love it!
🙂 gwingal
That looks so heavenly. Like a cloud floating and those pretty pistachios on top. Mummm. I would not eat it, although I bet it must be really good! I would take a photo first and then eat it, and then frame it. 😉
MAUREEN!!!! Holy cow…this looks extraordinarily outstandingly delicious! I pinned it to make for my daughter when she gets home for the holidays…she loves pavlova and pomegranates…so it must get made.
Thanks for the inspiration my friend.
Hugs, Lynn
That looks delicious! I love pistachios & I love pomegranates! The meringue looks heavenly too! My fave holiday movie is “A Mom for Christmas,” but I don’t remember any cooking in that!
OMG this looks delish! I’m coming over to watch Christmas movies.
Thanks Michelle! It was delicious 😉 And of course you are welcome any time!!
Oh, my! I can feel it sliding onto my hips as we drool over this fantastic fluffy delicious creation!!! Okay, favorite Christmas movie? Christmas with the Kranks is fun. Like that! Home Alone series; cute. Die Hard series, seriously. I like action films anyway but I don’t think they eat at all in any of them except a party scene with the ex-wife and her boss whose a jerk and gets killed by the creeps who take over their building. 😉 {I like dark humor…and satire!}
It’s a Wonderful Life if you want my old favorite favorite, but I couldn’t come up with a recipe there, either. Like yours and happily pinning! <3
I am embarrassed to say I have never seen It’s a Wonderful Life! Every year I tell myself I must watch it, and never seem to. I really must make it a point to watch! Home Alone is also a favorite, and of course Christmas Vacation!!
I adore pavlovas… white chocolate pistachio!? Heaven!! My favourites Christmas movies are White Christmas, A Christmas Carol (the 1980s version with George C Scott, haha) and It’s A Wonderful Life! 😛 Of course Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation is always a hit too.
Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe how this dessert turned out. It is absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing and you bet I pinned it!
Wow, that looks like Martha Stewart created it!! Seriously impressive!
Omgosh, this is such a beautiful dessert. My youngest loves making new treats and I’m going to show her this. I’m sure she is going to want to try this out. Pinned.
I made this over the weekend for an early Christmas dinner. A nephew said it was one of the best things he’s ever eaten!