{Mini} Pavlova Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a meringue and a pavlova? ›

What's the Difference Between Pavlova and Meringue? Pavlovas and meringues are both made of whipped egg white, but a Pavlova has a delicate crispy exterior with pillowy soft marshmallow inside, while meringue is dry and crisp all the way through.

Making mini pavlova consists of beating egg whites until stiff with granulated sugar and cream of tartar. Then, the fluffy mixture is shaped into a disk with room in the center for stuffing. They're baked low and slow (at 200-degrees Fahrenheit) for almost an hour, and then they cool in the oven for another hour.

Turn off the oven and cool the mini pavlovas completely with the door ajar. Once cool store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 4 days. White chocolate sauce: Break up the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl, pour in 100ml cream and microwave for 60 seconds.

The website of chef Nigella Lawson explains that a sticky pavlova is caused by excess moisture (via Nigella). If you're in a hot and humid climate this is going to be really difficult to avoid. Make sure you are using the correct type of sugar (caster sugar) and that you've added a pinch of cream of tartar.

Vinegar added to the meringue will lower the pH of the egg whites. This acidic environment will also help to stabilize the egg white foam, preventing the meringue from collapsing too much. The acidity helps to unravel the protein and prevent the proteins from binding together too tightly.

Sugar makes the pavlova mixture strong and stable, and is responsible for that super hard shiny crust. I found that as you reduce the sugar or increase the brown sugar (it has more moisture), the final result is a chewier, with a more fragile, shattery crust.

You can make it and leave it to cool in the oven overnight, or you can store a cooled, undecorated Pavlova in an airtight container. Once decorated with cream and toppings, they can be stored in the fridge until you're ready to serve, but they are best eaten that day.

Some pavlova recipes call for mixing cornstarch into the sugar before adding it to the egg whites. While this old family recipe is made without cornstarch, some say it helps to absorb any extra moisture, keeping the meringue completely dry, which could be especially helpful in humid environments.

Cooks' Ingredients Meringue Baseeach

Meringue Pavlova Base For perfect pavlovas. Simply cover this crisp, chewy meringue base with whipped cream, and top with your favourite fresh fruit for the perfect pavlova.

You can also leave the pavlova in your oven overnight. Don't be concerned if your pavlova has cracked. This is completely normal. Taking the pavlova out of the oven right away will subject it to a dramatic change in temperature, which may cause it to collapse.

How do you know when pavlova is cooked? ›

How Do I Know My Pavlova Is Done? A perfectly baked pavlova should be pale and look dry, but a skewer inserted in the meringue should come out with a thick sticky, marshmallow-like consistency. If you aren't sure about the pavlova's doneness, turn the oven off, open the door and leave the meringue for up to an hour.

If you overwhip the mixture after adding the sugar, your meringue may crack. Overwhipped eggwhites look like they are curdled and cannot be rescued, so beware. A soft peak is one that peaks but its tip softly collapses down on itself.

The cornflour (cornstarch) in the meringue mixture helps to give the marshmallowy interior. If you wanted a chewier interior then you could try omitting the cornflour from the recipe.

Overbeating egg white breaks down the structure and the meringue is likely to collapse during baking. Beat until firm peaks form, then start adding sugar. If the egg white starts to separate or looks curdled, it's overbeaten and you'll need to start again with fresh egg whites.

Named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, a pavlova is essentially a meringue cake made of whipped egg whites and sugar. It's perfectly light and crisp on the outside, ever so slightly chewy, and the middle tastes like a light, airy marshmallow.

But not all meringues are the same. There are in fact three major types: French, Swiss, and Italian. The distinction depends on how the key ingredients — egg whites and sugar — are combined and whether any heat is involved in the process.

French meringue is the least stable of the three meringue types but the lightest and the most airy. It is often used for making individual meringues, pavlovas, and torte layers with the addition of ground nuts.

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert. Originating in either Australia or New Zealand in the early 20th century, it was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Taking the form of a cake-like circular block of baked meringue, pavlova has a crisp crust and soft, light inside.