The Pavlova is a wonderful, meringue confection named for its light and airy texture. Its namesake is once-famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, once known for her incredible skills. She toured all over Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand. Legend has it that a chef in New Zealand named this delightful dessert after her light-footed performances.
The desert is a bit more complex than a traditional meringue. Rather than a light, hard, bite that resembles a sort of egg cookie, the Pavlova is more like a meringue on the outside, and a marshmallow on the inside. It is marked by its chewy interior and crunchy exterior. It’s a worthy dessert, much like the ballerina herself. It is, perhaps, our favorite way to use excess egg whites. It’s tasty, airy, and one of the easiest desserts we can think of to make.
That said, it takes care, as do any meringues. Don’t get any of the yoke fat in your mix, or you’ll never get the whites to whip. And be precise with your measurements. After all, this is baking. Once the oven gets involved, sometimes the task of cooking can feel a bit more like a chemistry activity than a sustenance-preparation activity. But lucky for us, the Pavlova is forgiving.
While some will make entire cake-sized Pavlova’s we’re more partial to the personal pan pizza version. Everyone gets their own. The smaller version of this desert has less middle and more crunch. But it’s just as delightful, albeit a quicker eat. And, while we’ll admit, the cake version looks a bit more impressive, most recipes with leftover egg yokes simply don’t leave you with enough material to make a massive mountain of egg white delight.
Needless to say, these mini-Pavlovas are the perfect sweet course to any savory main course. The will save you the trouble of having to dump a bunch of usable food down the kitchen sink or into a trash can. 3 eggs will make you about a cookie’s sheet worth of these fancy Mallomars. Though to get there you’ll have to deftly cut our recipe in half.
Your guests will be sufficiently impressed if you just serve them a naked Pavlova, trust us. But if you want to take your confection to the next level, there are a few simple things you can throw on top. With an extra 15 or so minutes of preparation, you can take an 8.5 dessert to that perfect 10. That said, let us warn you, you’d better have a sweet tooth. The Pavlova isn’t for the sweet-hater.
If you take our recommendation to top the Pavlova with some homemade berry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream, be prepare an early onset of the sugars. This little confection will raise your blood sugar so high, you’ll probably need to charter a jet to come pick you up from the cloud your floating on. But, as you will find out, it’s worth it. A lot a bit of sugar never hurt no one. And momentary pleasures, a little bit of sugary hedonism, is why the good Lord gave us taste buds in the first place.
Mini Pavlova Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 Teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1.5 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1.5 Cups granulated sugar
- 6 Large eggs worth of room temperature egg whites
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Add cream of tarter and salt. Whip egg white, cream of tarter, and salt using a whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft, white peaks that fall over form. If using a stand mixer, start the mixer at low speeds, progressively increasing it to medium or medium-high speeds during this process.
- While continuing to whisk the soft peaks, gradually add sugar, cornstarch. Whip until the peaks stiffen and stand on their own. Add vanilla. Continue whipping until the whole mixture are both stiff and glossy.
- use a spoon, a pipe, or a ziploc bag with a 1/4 inch corner cut to add 3 inch round mounds to the parchment paper sitting on top of the cooking sheet. Indent each Pavolva right in the middle to form a bowl.
- Place the parchment-covered baking sheet into the oven's middle rack. Lower the oven temperature as soon as you've put the Pavlovas in to 250°F. Let them bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Watch them in the oven so they do not overcook. Check on the desserts as needed. They are ready when the outside is crispy and dry, but still white.