Pavlovas are an Australian classic and growing up, and still to this day there is a pavlova at every family Christmas. So I decided to do a little spin on the traditional large shared pavlova and made small individual nests. There is just something fun about individualised desserts that make it just that little bit more special and personal. These little nests are filled with a vanilla whipped cream, topped with berries and drizzled with a raspberry sauce. Simple but perfect.
Some tips and tricks before you get started
Pavlovas in general can sometimes be a little temperamental when it comes to the weather (hello humidity) That's why this recipe uses a swiss meringue instead of a traditional French meringue. The swiss meringue is a lot more weather resistant and I think gives a crispier outer edge ( which is my favourite part)
Make sure your oven is properly calibrated. If the temperature is off just by a few degrees you could end up with a lightly toasted pavlova instead of crisp white. I mean its not the end of the world but it does look nicer.
Do not open the door of the oven whilst the meringue is in there. The oven is already at such a low temperature that any variation can affect the outcome resulting in cracked meringue, deflated meringue and weepy meringue.
Get yourself a good candy thermometer. I love using digital one that way you know it is super accurate.
if you forget about the raspberry sauce on the stove and it over thickens and it is almost jam like, don't worry, just add a bit of water to thin it out again.
This recipe can easily be double to yield 12 nests.
A large round piping nozzle will work just fine if you don't have a #13 round thermo tube.
Individual Pavlova
Makes: 6 nests
Time: 3.5 hours
Ingredients
Pavlova
100g egg whites (approx 3 eggs)
150g caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white vinegar
Raspberry sauce
75g frozen raspberries
75ml water
30g caster sugar
Topping
200ml thickened cream
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
1 tbsp caster sugar
8 large strawberries - Cut into small wedges
1 punnet of blueberries
6 sprigs of mint
Instructions
Pre heat oven to 175°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper and draw an 6 3.5" circles across the 2 trays. Flip the baking paper over so the meringue doesn't come into contact with the marker that was used.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the egg whites, sugar and vanilla. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler and whisk well to combine. ( Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water)
Gently whisk the egg whites constantly, to avoid cooked egg white lumps, until it reaches 75°C on candy thermometer. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk the meringue on high until stiff peaks form and the meringue cools down, approx 5 mins.
Turn the mixer to low and add in the cornflour and vinegar and whisk on high for a further 1 minute to make sure it is completely incorporated.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a #13 round thermo tube with the meringue. Pipe a spiral on the drawn circle. Pipe quite close to the baking paper so the base is a bit flatter. Pipe meringue peaks around the edge of the base, pipe on the base not off of it. Depending on the pressure used when piping, will depend on the number of peaks, mine had 10 around the edge.
Place the tray in the oven immediately and reduce the oven temperature to 100°C Bake the nests for 1 hour and then turn the oven off and allow the pavlova nests to cool down in the oven for a minimum of 2 hours
Remove the pavlova nests from the oven and either transfer to a serving platter carefully, or store until serving.
To make the raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, water and sugar in a saucepan and on low allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens slightly approximately 3-5 mins depending on the burner size that is used. Allow to cool
Once the pavlova nests have cooled, place the cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl fitted to a stand mixer and whisk on high until medium to stiff peaks form.
Divide the cream between the 6 nests by spooning it in. Divide the strawberries and blueberries on top of the cream on all 6 nests. Pour over the raspberry sauce and finish off with mint.
Enjoy immediately.
Shelf life and storage
The pavlova nests that are decorated are best consumed the same day, otherwise the meringue can go soggy from the liquid in the topping. However the nests can be stored in an airtight container until needed, provided no moisture or humidity is lingering.
Comments