Berry Pavlova Is An Ina Garten Favorite, But It's Quite Tedious To Make

Ina Garten certainly knows how to please guests, and when it comes to serving up delicious desserts that captivate an audience, berry pavlova is at the top of her list. This dessert is no quick recipe to make, however, and the bright, festive treat will take advance planning if you're hoping to present it at your next dinner party.

On her Instagram, Garten shares a feed-worthy shot of the delicate dish topped with an assortment of berries and strategically placed mint leaves. "Covers all the major food groups — meringue, berries, [and] whipped cream," Garten captioned the image. Though Garten's recipe to make mixed berry pavlova can understandably give pause to novice bakers (you'll need to make stiff white peaks of meringue, seasonal fruit sauce, and sweetened whipped cream from scratch), determined efforts will certainly pay off as you serve this impressive and delicious dessert to wowed dinner party guests.

If you're interested in making Garten's pavlova, get your patience ready. After gathering the ingredients and necessary equipment — parchment paper, a sheet pan, a mixer, whisk, bowls, a plate, and a saucepan — you'll need to preheat the oven to 180 degrees Fahrenheit as you whisk egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. The whisked egg whites will be used to make the meringue which will be baked for over one hour and left to cool for an additional hour. Hardened meringue will then be topped with the homemade whipped cream Garten sweetens with sugar and vanilla, and finally crowned with a mixture of various berries and sauce made from sugar and framboise liqueur. 

If the process sounds daunting, the individual components of this dessert can be made separately and assembled on the day of your intended feast. Presenting this colorful dessert to the table will be sure to amaze guests, just as Garten intended, and the look of contentment on diners' faces may quickly erase the memory of all the work you put in to make the dish.