Pavlovas are one of my go-to recipes when I entertain. I love how fancy they look without being too complicated. Now that we are only dining for two at home I reworked my recipe so that we can still enjoy my favorite indulgences. This recipe for Mini Chocolate Swirl Raspberry Pavlovas is perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I am going to be completely honest with you. I make beautiful pavlova and have made them many times as I said it is one of my go-to recipes for a special evening. That being said, that is when it is a large single layer or even a double-layered pavlova. When I started working on this recipe by changing measurements and trying to get it to work for a smaller batch, as well as adding melted chocolate to the mix, it gave me a hard time. I almost threw in the towel.
I spent last weekend researching pavlovas like crazy trying to figure out what went wrong since I have never had issues when I make a larger serving-sized one. I had a list of a million possibilities from a million different resources and my head hurt!
Then by chance, I started engaging with Zoe from Zoe Bakes and I mentioned to her my failed attempts. Her advice was that I needed to beat the meringue more. Guess what? This is exactly what I did and I now have the most perfectly beautiful Mini Chocolate Swirl Raspberry Pavlovas to share with you! I am so happy that I may have done a little dance or two around the kitchen.
Tips:
- Make Pavlovas on a dry low humid day. Do not make it if it is raining, they fall every time or become sticky.
- Humidity in the air will kill your pavlovas so do not boil water or cook other dishes at the same time as they can produce steam which makes the kitchen damp and then a sticky pavlova.
- Make sure every you use is clean and free of any oil. I wash everything from the mixing bowl to the baking sheet and dry with a fresh clean kitchen towel before baking.
- Measure out ingredients before starting and have them ready to go.
- To keep the parchment paper on the baking sheet, apply a little meringue underneath each corner.
- Use caster sugar for the meringue. If you cannot find place the sugar into a food processor and pulse until you have the consistency of caster sugar.
Perfect Meringue:
- Remove the eggs from the refrigerator 20 minutes before starting.
- Make sure NO yolk gets into the egg whites. I break the eggs one at a time into separate bowls before adding to the mixer bowl.
- Use a metal mixing bowl as the glass can be too slippery and plastic can hold oil which will not allow the egg whites to whip properly.
- Make sure the mixing bowl, as well as attachment, are completely dry.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then slowly add the sugar a little at a time. If you add to quickly or all at once the whites will deflate and/or the sugar will not dissolve.
- Rub some of the beaten egg whites between your fingers, if you feel sugar grains it has not mixed enough. Keep mixing until silky and glossy.
Tools:
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Mixer with a metal bowl and whisk attachment
- Small saucepan
- Small Fine sieve or sifter
More Pavlova Recipes
Mixed Berry Brown Sugar Cardamon Pavlova
Mini Chocolate Swirl Raspberry Pavlovas
This very impressive recipe makes 5 medium sized pavlovas, if you made them a bit smaller you could get six. Or make them a bit larger and have 4. Whenever we serve these, friends are amazed how pretty they are and then even more delighted by how delicious they are.
Ingredients
- 15 grams baking chocolate
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream tarter
- pinch of kosher salt
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- whipped cream, to serve
- 2 pints raspberries, to serve
Instructions
Melt the baking chocolate in a small saucepan. Then place the melted chocolate into a small bowl, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar in a metal mixing bowl on medium speed until they hold stiff peaks.
Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time. After the sugar has been added, beat until sugar is dissolved about 2 -3 minutes longer.
Stop the mixer and sift the cornstarch using the sieve or sifter, into the meringue, then beat until combined.
Add the vinegar and vanilla and beat at high speed until glossy and the meringue holds stiff peaks, about 2 - 3 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 250.
Very gently using a clean teaspoon lightly swirl traces of the chocolate in the meringue. Very Very gently!!
Evenly and gently divide the meringue into 5 pavlovas. Making the edges slightly higher than the center. The center will be for the cream and berries.
Bake until the meringues are pale and have a crust, about 1 hour 20 minutes. I start looking, through the oven glass (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN) every 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
Carefully loosen the pavlovas from the parchment paper with a metal spatula.
To Serve:
Place pavlova on a serving dish and spoon whipped cream onto the meringue and top with raspberries.
Serve.
Eat.
Swoon...
Notes
There are a lot of variables that can affect your pavlova making from humidity in the air to an oven to runs different temperatures. I try NOT to make these on a rainy day, as they always end up being sticky. As well, I keep oven thermometers in each corner of the oven to make sure the heat is even before baking.