Homemade strawberry syrup

I couldn't help it. I went to Lowe's last weekend and I got sucked over to one of the tables with someone giving away free samples. So, note to self, the rosemary olive oil bread is really tasty. There were also strawberries. And her selling point was that they were actually ripe and sweet, in January. And they were a two-fer purchase. So I bought a couple pints with no idea what I would do with them.

This morning I thought it was a pancake kind of morning. I opened the fridge and saw the strawberries. They were starting to turn on me, the traitors. I decided to make a quick syrup out of them. I combined 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar and cooked until the sugar was dissolved. I cooked it over low heat, mostly because I was unloading the dishwasher and drying rack at the same time and didn't want to have to babysit it. Then I rough chopped the strawberries. I added them to the simple syrup and turned up the heat. I boiled it on high for a few minutes, then turned the heat down to medium-high as the syrup darkened and some of the liquid had evaporated. You have to really pay attention at this point. You don't want it to stick and it progresses pretty quickly at this point. I also added a few drops of vanilla. I hate it when I see this in a recipe, but...I didn't really time it, so all I can say is that I cooked it until it was the consistency I wanted. All told, the strawberries cooked in the syrup for at least 15 minutes. Probably.

Honestly, what I made is probably more a strawberry compote than a syrup. Maybe if I cooked it for less time it would have been more syrup-y. What I do know is that it was just what I wanted.

Pavlova (just a fancy name for meringues)

I didn't want a really heavy meal for Easter dinner. Fancy, yes, but not heavy. We planned on a beef roast and green bean casserole, but just simple parsley red potatoes and plain crusty bread to round out the meal. And for dessert, I made individual Pavlovas with a strawberry compote and whipped cream. 

I first learned of pavlova from the Barefoot Contessa. I absolutely love her show. She thinks along the same lines as I do in the kitchen. We don't mind spending some time on our meals to let the people we are cooking for know they're worth the effort. But we don't want to spend all day chained to the stove. That's where the pavlova comes in. 

It has everything I want in a dessert. It's sweet, but not a sugar bomb. It's a mixture of textures -- a crispy shell filled with gooey deliciousness. And strawberries and whipped cream top them off perfectly.

They look like something you'd get from a bakery, but they are not hard to make. I have to admit though, I have carpal tunnel in both my hands, and I have never been so pleased with my decision to get a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer as I was when I made these. 

If you can use a mixer, stand or hand, you can make pavlovas. I think any berry combination would be good, and you don't have to make a
compote; fresh berries would work great on these too. As I usually do, I used a few recipes as guides, and I've managed to get it down in written form.

Pavlova:

• 8 large egg whites
• 2 cups superfine/castor sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Strawberry Compote:

• 2 pints fresh strawberries
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons water
• Juice of 2 lemon

For the Pavlova:

1. Preheat oven to 250 F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and draw six evenly spaced, 4½-inch circles on each piece of paper (I used the top of a pint glass as a mold). Turn the parchment paper over.
3. Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks (using an electric whisk will make easy work of this).
4. While mixing, add the sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat vigorously until the meringue holds very stiff and shiny peaks and the sugar is completely dissolved.
5. Beat in the vanilla extract.
6. Drizzle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and gently fold in with a rubber spatula or spoon.
7. Use the spatula or a spoon to spread the meringue inside the circles on the parchment paper. (You can make the edges of the meringue slightly higher so there is a small indentation or well to hold the whipped cream and fruit - I didn't because I wanted the cream and fruit to run down the sides a little).
8. Bake for an hour to 75 minutes, or until the outside is dry and very light pink in color.
9. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Cool the meringue to completely in the oven. As it cools, it may start to crack slightly - this is normal.
10. Serve when cooled, or if making ahead, store in an airtight container in a cool place. 

For the Strawberry Compote:

1. Put the strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until strawberries are soft (approximately five minutes).
3. Remove from heat and set aside. Cool completely and either serve with pavlovas or store in refrigerator until ready to serve. (Because I made this a day ahead of time, I put it in the microwave two minutes just to get the chill off before serving.)