White Chocolate and Raspberry Pavlova
I simply love Pavlova of any sort, especially if it’s made right. For me that marshmallow centre and crunchy outside is what makes it irresistible. Let me not tell you how many times I tested this recipe before I got it perfect. I think I have enough egg yolks to make custard for the whole country…Lol! I am kidding, I didn’t make it that many times but lets just say it was a lot of testing. I finally got it right and my hubby simply loves this dessert. If you are making this for Christmas or a special occasion you can definitely turn it into a showstopper with a few tricks. Your guests don’t have to know just how easy it was to make them. That can be our little secret. Reminds me of my little stint on Come Dine with Me. Where the most competitive one of all made this roulade recipe. It was very delicious, I must admit. However, I thought she had some serious skills making this dessert and when I tried it I realised it was actually so simple. Now that I think of it I could have changed my score…haha! Pity I am not that manipulative type.
Tips or making the perfect pavlova
I got a few tips from Donna Hay to share with you. Firstly, always ensure your eggs are fresh and at room temperature. Your bowl that you use to whisk the egg whites must be squeaky clean. Humidity doesn’t work for pavlovas and yes I did find that mine didn’t turn out as nice on a hotter more humid day. In fact it worked perfectly on cooler days. A lot of sugar is needed for pavlovas and on humid days the sugar absorbs moisture, which is why the meringues will weep or become soft once baked. This little trick is a must, trust me. Once the pavlovas are baked allow them to cool completely in the oven. Once baked do not open the oven. Turn the oven off and leave it in there for 3-4 hours. I noticed from own baking if there was any weeping once left in the oven to cool the meringues harden and looks perfect once cool. Cornflour and vinegar does help stabilise the egg whites and prevents weeping. Please do not use too much cornflour or your meringues will taste chalky.
Its best to use castor sugar rather than granulated sugar as it dissolves better. Add little bits of sugar at a time, this requires patience. You will need to ensure all the sugar is dissolved properly and scrape down the sides of the bowl too. Do not over mix the meringue. It needs to be thick and glossy. You can rub some of the mixture between your fingers to ensure it is smooth and all the sugar has dissolved. When over mixed it also creates air in the centre when baked and cracks. A couple of small cracks is ok but you don’t want it collapsing Bake the meringues at a low temperature. I found that for the bigger one I baked at 150 degrees Celsius and it was fine.
However, the smaller ones had a lot of air in the centre and therefore cracked and collapsed. I therefore baked them at a lower temperature and it worked well. The pavlovas can be made ahead of time but ensure it is totally cool before storing in an airtight container. You can decorate them when serving.
How to decorate the pavlovas
For these mini pavlovas I used whipped cream, raspberries and white chocolate shards. You can sprinkle some sparkle dust on top to make it look all fairy like. As some of you would know I am a lazy cook so I made the raspberry sauce/coulis the easy way. I blended the raspberries and strained them. You can cook them if you wish. But who has time for extra work, when you can do it the easy way.
If you loved this, please share!
