These Pavlovas have got my name written ALL over them! Hands down, pavlovas are my all time favorite dessert to eat on Passover. They almost make up for how much I miss chocolate chip cookies. Speaking of chocolate chip cookies…I spend this week before the holiday stuffing my face with all the chocolate chip cookies that I can get my hands on. Being the cookieholic, that I am, I can barely go the eight days without my cookies. The struggle is real!
I am not 100% sure but, I think the first time I had a pavlova was at my friend Sam’s house. His mom makes an awesome Lemon Pavlova that she makes every time my family comes over, just for me. (Or that’s why I think she does!) Also, she makes a great parve chocolate mouse that my brother, Yoni, can eat by the bucket. She makes really good food and especially desserts! Okay, back to these Mini Balsamic Strawberry Pavlovas…
For those of you who have never had a pavlova, a pavlova is a large meringue that has whipped cream dolloped on top. It is typically finished off with some fresh fruit, but you can literally top it with anything. My favorite part of a pavlova is definitely the meringue. I just love the marshmallowy texture on the inside and the slightly crunchy outside. Yummmm! My mouth is watering just writing about this. I made these with fresh whipped cream but if you want to make this for a meat meal you can substitute the fresh whipped cream with any non-dairy whipped cream you’d like. I made these Mini Pavlovas so that everyone at the table can eat their own Mini Balsamic Strawberry Pavlova. I went with the balsamic strawberries because it is a very interesting and unexpected flavor combination that I really love. Thanks for reading…I gotta go now to eat some cookies, to prepare for next week!
Ingredients
For the Meringue:
- 8 large egg whites
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tablespoon potato starch
- 1 cup white sugar
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 pint heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Balsamic Strawberries:
- 2 cups strawberries,cut into fourths
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
For the Meringue:
- Preheat oven to 250 Degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking pans with parchment paper. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch. In a the bowl of an electric mixer, put the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Beat on high until it forms soft peaks. Slowly add in the sugar and cornstarch mixture and keep beating until it forms stiff peaks. Divide the meringue into 6 even portions and place on the two baking sheets. Spread them out to be 4 inches each in diameter. Bake for 30 minutes then open the door of the oven and turn it off. Leave the meringues in there for another 15 minutes then remove and allow to cool.
For the Whipped Cream:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, pour the heavy cream and begin beating, on high. Slowly add in the sugar then vanilla extract until peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Balsamic Strawberries:
- In a large bowl mix the strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar together. Set aside for 5 minutes. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
Assembly:
- Spoon the whipped cream over the meringues and then top with the balsamic strawberries. Enjoy!
2 comments
I tried this recipe and the pavlovas came out completely flat. I think you need a lot more time in the oven for this… like at least an 1 hour and 15 minutes
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. I wonder why it came out flat. Maybe next time you can try whipping it more. Let me know if that works! 🙂