Here’s a funny story about Pavlova:
Once, when I was younger, my mum was making pavlova for a dinner party or wine club night or something to that effect. As a family, we were, and are, big fans of anything that serves as a vehicle for whipped cream and fruit. During berry season, you could always find a crumble or crisp on the counter, covered by a tea towel in a futile attempt to hide it from the wasps. As a child, my birthday cake was Angel Food with fresh strawberries or blackberries from the brambles that lined our driveway.
Mum’s pavlova had been whipped and baked low and slow and left to dry out fully in the oven with the door ever-so-slightly ajar. I don’t remember if my brother was around when we were told not to touch the oven, but he missed the memo, and Jack had a hankering for nachos. He shut the oven door and cranked the temperature to 425F.
If you’ve never made pavlova, well, I hope you give it a go–it really isn’t hard, or dramatic. Just whip the bejeezus out of egg whites with the help of some cream of tartar, and sugar. It’s helpful if your whites are room temperature (their bonds are more relaxed and will whip into a greater volume). You can flavour your meringue however you like with fruit, booze, extracts, or as I do here, espresso. Spoon it into one big mound, or pipe cute little baskets or fun shapes. Serve it with fruit and whipped cream, or, when it’s not berry season, chocolate or something nutty. Choose your own pavlov-adventure!
The pavlova I’m giving you today is Tiramisu-adjacent: espresso meringue, mascarpone cream, cocoa powder, and shaved chocolate. It’s everything I love about Tiramisu (the above), and skips the less great parts (lady fingers, give me a BREAK!).
Don’t skip letting it dry out in the oven. My mum’s pavlova was fine. She caught it in time and it escaped with nothing more than a light tan.
And the nachos were worth it.
Thanks for being here!!
ksenia <3
recipe follows below!!
tiramisu pavlova!!
espresso meringue, mascarpone cream, cocoa + shaved dark chocolate
Espresso Meringue
250g granulated sugar
85g icing sugar
220g egg whites (roughly 6 large) at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons espresso powder
Preheat your oven to 225°F. Line two to three baking sheets with parchment.
Combine the two sugars in a small bowl and set aside.
In a mixer bowl, combine the room temperature egg whites and the cream of tartar. Beat on medium slow speed until the eggs whites are foamy and the cream of tartar is completely dissolve. Add the salt and the espresso powder.
Increase the mixer speed slowly. When the whites are opaque and have doubled in volume, add in the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating on medium high speed. Continue to beat to stiff peaks. The whites should be glossy.
For Piped Pavlova “Cookies”
Fill a piping bag with the piping tip of your choice, and pipe away! You should get 24-30 good sized “cookies”.For a “Presentation Piece” Pavlova
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and using a 9” cake pan as your guide, draw a circle. Flip paper upside-down.
Spoon mixture onto the prepared parchment paper circle. Gently drag a spatula along the outer edges of the meringue from bottom to top, to build up the edges and creating a well in the centre.
Place the meringue(s) in the oven. After 30 minutes, reduce the oven heat to 200°F, and continue to bake for another 1 (for a chewier meringue) to 2 (crispier meringue) hours. The baked meringues should feel super light, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Turn off the oven, prop the door open and allow the meringues to cool on the pan in the oven for 30 minutes to two hours, or even overnight if it’s been raining (i.e. humid).
Mascarpone Cream
4 egg yolks
100 grams granulated sugar, divided in half
180g heavy cream
227 grams mascarpone, room temperature
Make a sabayon:
In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whip the egg yolks and 50g of sugar to ribbon stage. The mixture will turn very pale, be tripled in volume, and will hold a “ribbon” when the whisk attachment (or beaters) is lifted from the bowl.
In a separate bowl, whip cream and remaining 50g of sugar to soft-medium peaks. Add the mascarpone and continue to whip until incorporated and smooth, to stiff peaks. Gently fold the mascarpone whip into the sabayon until combined.
Plating
Here’s how I did it, but you do you!
In a cute little bowl or dish, pipe a squiggle of mascarpone cream roughly the same size as the meringue “cookie”. Place the meringue to the side, slightly on top. Dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle with shaved dark chocolate.
enjoy :)