The luscious, fruit-and-cream-filled glory of the pavlova The pavlova: a crisp, melt-in-the-mouth meringue spread with cream that is delicately flavored and whipped to magical lightness then topped with luscious fresh fruit. The pastry chefs at Paris shop La Meringaie have reimagined this dessert, which was originally created in the 1920s in homage to the renowned Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during her tour of Australia and New Zealand. Each tempting pavlova in this book-all named after 18th-century women, evoking the era of Marie Antoinette, who was known to love meringue-is a delectable contemporary take on this dessert.

Plus, five top French pastry chefs have devised delicious meringue-based recipes for your enjoyment, each one a joy to make and share.