Honestly Pavlovas are delightful! It is hard to resist that crisp outside and marshmallowy soft inside. I mostly love them because I adore berries and Pavlovas are essentially a dessert made to hold fresh sweetened whipped cream and berries! Hooray! They are actually pretty easy, if you can be patient when whipping the egg whites. I think I didn’t quite whip long enough on these ones, but the good news is: while they didn’t hold their shape perfectly, they still turned out nicely. Can I get a cheer for a little wiggle room on a dessert? Good thing too, because as this was a birthday dessert for my daughter, I didn’t have time to start again in the name of perfection. So welcome to my real life post. 🙂 Are we even allowed to do that? Yep! I’m gonna! Imperfect, yet pretty dessert still helps daughter to feel loved! Yea! Living our best life right here!
You can make mini pavlovas like these, or you can pipe two 8 inch large circles and layer the dessert. The internet is full of beautiful images! My family loved the mini’s! I love both, but the presentation for an individual dessert can be charming!
So follow me and I will show you how to make a less than perfect, but still delightful Mini Pavlova. 🙂
Mini Pavlovas
Equipment
- Bosch Mixer, Kitchen Aid or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 6 Egg Whites Room Temperature
- 1.5 Cups White Sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp. tsp Vanilla
- 2 tsp. tsp Corn Starch
- 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream I always stick my mixing bowl in the freezer before mixing heavy whipping cream for about 5 minutes. It helps the whipped cream to be perfect and not heat up from the friction from the mixer!
- 3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla (this is optional)
Toppings
- Raspberries
- Sliced Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Sliced Kiwi
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (does not work reliably on silpat or wax paper!) I use a 3/4 size baking sheet (bigger than the normal 1/2 size) and all of the mini pavlovas should fit nicely!
- Using a Bosch or handheld mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed for about 60-90 seconds until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the sugar a little bit at a time, while still mixing on high. You will end up beating the egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks form. This can be around 10 minutes.
- Once you have stiff peaks, fold in the vanilla and lemon juice, followed by the corn starch and cream of tartar. You are trying to incorporate the ingredients without deflating the mixture.
- Now you are ready to pipe the individual pavlovas onto the parchment paper. Start in the middle of the shape and work your way out. You should be in essence forming a little bowl for the toppings. You can use a spoon to create an indent after you are done if desired. I used the Tupperware cake decorator, but you can use a large star tip and a piping bag.
- Bake the pavlovas in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Then turn off the oven and allow the pavlovas to cool down and continue to dry for the next hour. Remove Pavlovas to a cooling rack until ready to prepare.
Whipped Topping
- Beat cold whipping cream (in a bowl that has been in the freezer) on high adding the powdered sugar after the whipping cream begins to forms peaks. Add in the dash of vanilla if desired.
- This is the fun part: Top each Pavlova with whipped cream and fruit. Serve immediately. (Once you add the toppings you have a small window while the pavlova remains crisp. It may be as much as an hour or two, but we serve immediately) Enjoy! 🙂
- Place on a pretty plate and sing Happy Birthday as needed! 😉
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One of my all-time favorite springtime desserts. Where I grew up, we referred to these little beauties as “Schaum Tortes.” Have been eating them since my childhood. Have never used lemon juice in the recipe. And back in Wisconsin, you learn to make them when the humidity is low or they will kind of become a soft and sticky mess. AZ is perfect for them, pretty much all year round. Thanks for a sweet memory, Kim!
Awww Chris so good to hear from you here! I have never heard them called Schaum Tortes! How delightful and certainly combating humidity around a recipe is no joke! Thanks for stopping by! (And I LOVE a sweet memory!) Hugs to you!