Mini Pavlova Recipe (VIDEO)

Today I’m going to show you how to make a Mini Pavlova Dessert.  This elegant and easy to make dessert  has baked meringue base, filled with passion fruit curd with white chocolate, topped with slightly sweet whipped cream and fresh mango that no one can resist!

Ingredients for the meringue:

130g white eggs
260g sugar
10g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
10g (1 tbsp) lemon juice

Ingredients for the frosting:

400ml cold heavy whipped cream
60-80g powdered sugar

Ingredients for assembling the dessert:

Passion Fruit Curd (optional)
Mango cubes (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)

Step 1

In a stand mixer bowl place the egg whites and start whisking at the low speed of your mixer, gradually increasing the speed. We need to achieve a foamy consistency.  Next, decrease the speed to medium and slowly add in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. It’s best to use caster sugar with fine crystals. The sugar will slowly melt and the egg mixture will become glossy and dense. You can check the meringue by rubbing a bit of the meringue between your fingers to make sure there are no undissolved sugar crystals left.

Step 2

Once all the sugar has been added, pour in the lemon juice. The lemon juice helps balance the sweetness of the meringue and helps create a more stable meringue. Next, sift in the cornstarch and whisk the meringue on your mixer’s medium speed until you start to see holes forming on the surface.  As you can see, the meringue turned out very dense and glossy with a clear beak.

Step 3

To pipe the meringue, I’ll be using a large piping bag fitted with a large close star piping tip. Put the piping bag (with the piping tip attached) into the glass, pull the edges of the piping bag over the sides of the glass and fill it with the meringue mixture.

Step 4

To pipe the meringue nests, start by piping a dot, then in one continuous motion go around the dot to make a bigger circle, and then go around again on top of the outer circle to make the sides. When piping the meringue nests, make sure to leave some space between each nest as they will spread when they are baked. 

From the specified amount of ingredients, I piped ten meringue nests about 3-inch wide and a few small meringue cookies.

Step 5

To bake the meringue, preheat the oven to 280 F degrees (140 C), then place the baking sheet inside and REDUCE the heat to 210 F degrees (100 C). Bake for about an hour and 40 minutes. Then turn off the oven, slightly open the oven’s door and let the meringue cool completely inside the oven.

Baked meringue nests should stay white and easy to peel from the baking sheet. They are very light and have a clear pattern from the piping tip. They also have a crisp outside and slightly chewy texture on the inside.

Let the meringue nests cool completely  and in the meantime we can prepare our filling.

To fill my mini Pavlova nests, I’m going to use the Passion Fruit  Curd with White Chocolate. To see my tutorial on how to make it, click here. I will also make whipped cream and use chopped mango pieces with mint leaves to decorate the dessert.

Step 6

Combine the powdered sugar and cold heavy whipping cream. Using a hand mixer, beat them together until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat the cream. I’m using a small amount of powdered sugar since the meringue is very sweet, but you can adjust the sweetness of the whipped cream to your liking. Transfer the topping into a piping bag fitted with any large piping tip. I’m using the same closed star piping tip.

Step 7

To assemble the dessert, fill the meringue cavity with passion fruit curd. Then pipe the whipped cream. Finish with some chopped mango and mint leaves.

This elegant and delicate dessert is ready! A sweet and crispy shell, delicate and smooth passion fruit curd, light and fluffy whipped cream and slightly sour pieces of mango make it a mouth watering dessert!

This dessert is also very handy, because the meringue can be prepared in advance, placed in an airtight container  and stored in a dry place for up to 10 days.

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Watch the video for Mini Pavlova Dessert

Tips for the Perfect Pavlova Dessert

• The eggs need to be at room temperature before you start whipping them.
• When separating the eggs, make sure that no drop of water, fat or yolk gets into the egg whites, or they won’t beat.
• To make the meringue, make sure that anything that touches the egg whites, like the mixing bowl and whisk attachment, have to be very clean and dry, so no residual oil or fat is left behind to disturb or deflate the meringue.
• The right ratio of ingredients for the meringue is one part of egg whites for two parts of sugar. If you want to get great results every time,  don’t change the proportions.
• It’s very important to use good quality parchment paper to avoid the meringue sticking to the paper . You can also use a silicon or Teflon mat.
• If you like a lot of filling in your Pavlova nests, you can indent the center, after piping your meringue, to allow room for more filling.
• Preheat the oven to 280 F degrees (140 C), place the baking sheet inside and REDUCE the heat to 210 F degrees (100 C). Bake for about an hour and 40 minutes. It depends on the size of your meringue nests.
• Turn off the oven and slightly open the oven’s door to allow the meringue to cool completely inside the oven.
• This is the best way to avoid cracks in your pavlova meringue.
• Use the leftover egg yolks to make a  Pastry Cream or Lemon Curd.

Can I Use a Hand Mixer to Make the Dessert?

• Today I’m using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer. You just need to increase the time of whisking the meringue.

Can I Make Pavlovas Ahead of Time?

• You can make the meringue nests in advance and store them in an airtight container for up to 10 days in a dry place.
• Once they are assembled the whipped cream and the filling start to soften the meringue, so they should be eaten within 3-4 hours.

What to serve with Pavlova?

• The great part about the Pavlova dessert is the diversity of the fillings. You can use my  Passion Fruit Curd with White Chocolate, Lemon Curd or any other fruit curd, you can also use Pastry Cream, Mango Jam or any other fruit sauce and of course, any assortment of fresh berries and fruits.
• To top the filling of your choice, you can use Sweetened Whipped Cream or Mascarpone Cheese Frosting.

Other Egg White Recipes To Try

 

 

 

 

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