| |

White Chocolate and Raspberry Pavlova

Decadently delicious White Chocolate and Raspberry Pavlova, yes you heard right! It’s exactly what they are and  I could eat them everyday…if only!

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.

No ratings yet

Ingredients
  

  • 4 egg whites room temperature
  • 1 cup castor sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 drop pink food colouring gel or liquid

Filling

  • 350 gram raspberries
  • 250 ml/1 cup whipping cream
  • 80 gram white chocolate

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius or 302°F
  • Separate the egg whites from the yolks. You can use the yolks for some other recipe.
  • Place the egg whites in a squeaky clean bowl using a stand mixer. A hand mixer can also work, however you will need some muscle power as it takes a bit of whisking.
  • Whisk the egg whites on a low-medium speed until it just starts to form stiff peaks.
  • On medium speed, slowly add 1 tablespoon of sugar at a time to the egg whites. Ensure you whisk well after each addition but don't whisk for too long. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the sugar dissolves. Should take about 8-10 minutes for this step
  • Once all the sugar is added, take a little bit of the mixture and rub it between your fingers to ensure the sugar has dissolved
  • Add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk again, for just a few seconds until it's mixed through
  • Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and add a drop of pink food colouring. Fold the colouring in to create swirls
  • Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Put a tiny drop of the meringue mixture on each corner of the baking sheet and then place the baking paper on top. This will keep the paper in place
  • Drop a couple of tablespoons full of the pavlova mixture on the baking sheet to create 6 mounds. Leave enough space between each one. Flatten the top just a little, with the back of a spoon. Do not make it flat.
  • Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 120 degrees Celsius. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven, do not open it and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for 3-4 hours.
  • Once completely cool you can whip up the cream and add dollops of cream of top of the pavlovas or pipe them
  • To make the raspberry sauce/coulis you can blend 1/2 cup of raspberries, strain it and drizzle on top. Reserve the remaining raspberries to decorate the pavlova
  • For the chocolate shards, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 30 second increments. Mix well and use a teaspoon and spread little bits onto some baking paper. Freeze for a few minutes. Add the raspberries on top of the pavlovas and place the chocolate shards between them.
  • You can sprinkle some sparkle dust on top if you want to be extra

Notes

  1. It's easier to separate cold eggs so you can separate them whilst cold and allow it to reach room temperature before you start whisking
  2. A stand mixer works best as the whisking process takes a long time and can put some strain on your hands
  3. For the chocolate you can also melt the chocolate and drizzle it over instead of making the shards
  4. I haven't added any sugar to the cream or the raspberry coulis as the meringues are very sweet and I felt it is not required
  5. When removing the pavlovas from the baking sheet be gentle as they break easily and store in an airtight container
Tried this recipe?Mention @tamarindnthyme

If you loved this, please share!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating