Mini Pavlovas with Fresh Berries and Cream
Pavlovas are such a fun sweet treat. Beautiful for a Sunday Brunch, especially served with Kunde’s Sparkling Rose bubbles! They take a bit of time but are well worth the effort.
Ingredients:
Pavlovas
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
Cream, Berries and Berry Dizzle
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 - 4 T powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche
- 2 - 3 cups mixed fresh berries - blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries - cleaned, halved or quartered
- 1 cup strawberries - sliced
- 1 T sugar
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Garnish - Fresh mint and powdered sugar
Preparation:
To make the pavlovas, preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine egg whites in a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whip on high until soft peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, scraping sides of bowl as needed. When stiff peaks, form add vinegar and whip for another 30 seconds. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Using a large spoon, drop a big dollop of egg white mixture onto parchment (about ⅓-½ cup) - 6 per sheet pan. Continue until all mixture is gone. Try to make them all the same size to ensure they cook evenly. With the back of the spoon, make a slight indentation in the center of each mound. Bake until meringues are dry and crisp to touch and release easily from the parchment paper, about 35-45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave the door open halfway and let cool for 1 hour or so. This will help them from falling.
Prepare the whipped cream and berries next. In a medium bowl whip the cream. Just before soft peaks form, add vanilla and powdered sugar. Continue whipping until soft peaks form. Whisk in creme fraiche. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
Place berries in a bowl and toss together.To make the drizzle, place the strawberries in a small saucepan with 1 T sugar and 1-2 T water and a squeeze of lemon juice. Heat over medium heat until berries break down. Smash berries and stir as needed. Cook 5-7 minutes, taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Strain and place sauce in a small dish.
Serve pavlovas on a platter topped with a spoonful of the whipped cream mixture on each. Scatter berries on and around each pavlova. Drizzle with sauce and add a sprinkling of powdered sugar and garnish with mint. Serves 6-8.