Mickey Shaped Mini Pavlovas

Christmas, Holiday, Recipes, Winter, , 1 Comment

Some how this decadent dessert fell out of style over the past 20 years and it’s about time we bring it back. It’s elegant exterior is crispy like a meringue and has a soft marshmallow-y center. I imagine this is what clouds taste like. It’s incredibly easy to make too! It takes several hours to cool, so keep that in mind when preparing this sweet treat.

A few tricks I’ve picked up over the years making this is:

  • Egg whites must be at room temperature!
  • Sugar – you can use granulated sugar in a pinch, but you will have a more grainy texture than the smooth cloud like one from using superfine or castor sugar.
  • Cornstarch – it’s a must, DO NOT substitute the cornstarch. That’s what make it fluffy and marshmallow-y in the center.
  • Lemon Juice – the acid from lemon juice helps the egg whites hold onto air and, like the sugar, helps give the meringue its volume.
  • Vanilla extract – this ingredient is purely for flavor, but don’t omit it! Just a little makes a big difference.
  • and cracks in the meringue are completely normal and in no way mean you’ve done something wrong. Top cracks with toppings and no one will ever know.

Hope you and your family enjoy this sweet treat as much as we do! We look forward to it almost as much as the presents on Christmas Day.

Mini Pavlovas

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

For Pavlova

  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups superfine (caster) sugar
  • ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • ½ Tbsp lemon juice

For Topping

  • 4-5 cups fresh fruit, such as sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.[/recipe-ingredients]

    Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Using your stand mixer, beat egg whites on high speed for 1 min until soft peaks form.  With the mixer still on, gradually add in the sugar and beat 10 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. It will be smooth and glossy.
  • Using a spatula, quickly fold in the lemon juice and vanilla extract, then fold in the corn starch and mix until well blended.
  • Pipe meringue into 3 inch wide nests onto the parchment paper using a large Star tip. To make Mickey shaped Pavlova’s, pipe two smaller circles on both sides of the nest to create the iconic shape.
  • Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then turn the oven off and without opening the door, let meringue sit in the oven until completely cooled, about 3-4 hours. The outsides will be dry and crisp and a very pale cream color and the insides will still be marshmallow soft.
  • Once pavlova are completely cool, carefully remove them from the parchment paper and place on desired servings plates. Pipe whipped cream (Lemon curd is also a great alternative) in the indentation and top with a fresh fruit.
  • Serve and enjoy within 3 hours.
  • Can be stored plain (without whip cream) in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature (in a low humidity place).

recipe from: Amagicalkingdomcalledhome.com

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