I love Pavlovas. Beyond making the meringues (finicky and take time), they are an easy dessert, both rich and light and the combinations are plenty.

This Pavlova is a festive one, red and white; some vanilla pastry cream and a topping of cranberry sauce and pomegranate seeds to top everything off.

Pavlova With Cranberry Sauce, Pomegranate

(serves 12)

For the Meringues

4 large egg whites

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pastry Cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/3 whole milk

1 1/3 heavy cream, divided

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

4 Tbsp. cornstarch

Garnish

1 recipe for Cranberry sauce

pomegranate seeds

1. For the meringues, add the egg whites, sugar into a clean stainless steel bowl and place on top of a pot of simmering water over medium heat (water should not touch base of the bowl. Use a whisk to stir until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer to your stand mixer and begin whipping your egg whites on high speed  until in whitens and begins to stiffen.
3. Add the corn starch, vinegar and finally the vanilla. Your meringue should now form stiff peaks.
4. Pre-heat your oven to 200F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Empty your meringue into a piping bag with a ½ inch tip and pipe nests onto the parchment (leave 1 inch of space between each nest).
5. Bake on the middle rack for 70 minutes or until outside is firm. Allow to cool for 2 hours or overnight.
6. Carefully remove from parchment.
7. For the pastry cream, pour the milk, 1/3 of the heavy cream and half of the sugar, vanilla into a pot. Bring up to a boil over medium heat while stirring.
8.  In a bowl, whisk together 1/3 of the heavy cream, egg yolks, cornstarch and the rest of the sugar. Slowly add milk mixture into egg mixture while stirring.
9. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat, stir until thick, take off the heat. Place plastic wrap on pastry while it cools.
10. Take the last 1/3 of the cream and whip to stiff peaks. Once the vanilla custard is room temperature, fold in the whipped cream.
11. To assemble, place pavlovas on a plate, spoon pastry cream on each followed by a heaping dollop of cranberry sauce and pomegranate seeds.