This Delectable Pavlova Wreath Is the Ultimate Showstopping Christmas Dessert Cue the sugar plum fairies. By Vanessa Greaves Vanessa Greaves Vanessa Greaves is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes with nearly two decades of experience helping home cooks gain confidence in the kitchen. A self-taught cook who grew up reading cookbooks for fun, Vanessa lives and breathes the challenges faced by busy everyday cooks to get dinner on the table. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines and Mackenzie Schieck Mackenzie Schieck Mackenzie Schieck is a writer, home stylist, and photographer smitten with lattes, stuff that's funny, and assorted pretty things. Her work can be found on Allrecipes, Apartment Therapy, Amazon Home, and more. She has been creating digital content in all its forms since 2004. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on November 23, 2021 Close Credit: Mackenzie Schieck Light, airy, and ethereal — like the ballerina it's named for — a pavlova is a fancy looking dessert that's deceptively easy to make. After all, a pavlova is simply a baked meringue with toppings. So, if you can whisk eggs and operate an oven, you can make a pavlova. And if you want to take it one step further, you can create a pavlova in the shape of a Christmas wreath topped with the colorful fillings and garnishes of your choice. Read on for a step-by-step guide to make a Christmas pavlova wreath that'll be the hit of the season. How to Make a Christmas Pavlova Wreath What You'll Need: Pavlova recipe (you can use this recipe for the pavlova meringue and the optional lemon curd filling) Saucepan (for optional lemon curd) Parchment paper Pencil Dinner plate Small bowl Large glass, metal, or ceramic mixing bowl (do not use plastic) Wire whisk or stand mixer Baking sheet Cooking spray Spoons or piping bag with large tip Large spatulas Large serving platter Pomegranate seeds (optional decoration) Candied citrus rounds (optional decoration Fresh mint leaves (optional decoration) Making the Wreath Step 1: Bring eggs to room temperature. Separate yolks from whites, making sure that absolutely no yolk gets into the whites. Use the yolks to make the optional lemon curd following recipe directions (recipe above). Set aside to cool. Meredith Step 2: On a sheet of parchment paper, use a pencil to trace the outer and inner borders of the Christmas wreath, using a dinner plate for the outer ring and a small bowl for the inner ring, as shown below. Draw the circles dark enough so you can still see them when you flip the parchment paper over: Mackenzie Schieck Step 3: Make meringue following recipe directions (recipe above). Tips for success: Egg whites must be at room temperature. Mixing bowl and whisk must be very clean (use metal, glass, or ceramic mixing bowl only; plastic can hold grease residue which might ruin your meringue). Whether you use a hand whisk or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, you should add the sugar to the egg whites gradually and not all at once. For ultra-smooth meringue, use very fine castor sugar or blitz regular sugar in a food processor. For pure white meringue, omit the vanilla extract called for in the recipe, or use clear vanilla extract. Get more tips to make perfect meringue. Mackenzie Schieck Step 4: Whip meringues to stiff peaks, as shown: Mackenzie Schieck Step 5: Flip the parchment paper so the penciled outline of the wreath is facing down. Use a dab of meringue to adhere the parchment to a baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray (optional). Use a large spoon or piping bag to place generous dollops of meringue in a ring, following the wreath tracing. Mackenzie Schieck Step 6: Use a clean spoon to make small indentations in each dollop of meringue. Mackenzie Schieck Step 7: Bake the wreath in the center of a preheated 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) oven for 1 hour, following recipe directions. After 1 hour, turn off the oven and open the oven door a bit but do not remove the meringue. Leave the door cracked open and let the meringue cool completely for about an hour. Step 8: Using two large spatulas, carefully transfer cooled meringue to a large serving platter (it's perfectly fine if the meringue cracks a bit) or simply slide the parchment paper, meringue and all, to a serving platter for a more rustic presentation. Step 9: Fill the center of each meringue dollop with a spoonful of cooled lemon curd or other filling such as chocolate ganache or boozy whipped cream. Top with candied citrus rounds, pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint (as shown) or top with fresh berries if you'd like. Mackenzie Schieck To serve, simply slice between the mounds of baked meringue to make individual pavlova portions. Mackenzie Schieck How to Store a Pavlova Shell You can make the meringue pavlova shell up to two days ahead. Place the completely cooled meringue in an airtight container and store in a cool, dark spot in your pantry. Don't add the fillings until just before you're ready to serve it. Related 25 Fancy Christmas Cookies That Are Gifts All by Themselves Get More Christmas Dessert Recipes Explore more: Entertaining Holiday Planning Christmas Ideas Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit