Mini pavlova with fresh berries is a spectacular dessert that's easy to make! Crisp and crunchy on the outside, the center of these individual pavlova desserts has the texture of marshmallows. Fill these meringue nests with fluffy whipped cream and top with berries or sliced fruit for a dessert to remember!
1 ½ cupsberries or sliced fruit,or more, as desired
mint leaves,optional, for garnish
Instructions
For the meringue base
Separate the eggs. Let the egg whites come to room temperature while you assemble your equipment and ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 225°F.
Prepare a baking pan. Draw circles about 3 inches in diameter with a pencil on a piece of parchment paper.
Whip the egg whites at low speed (3 - 4) to the soft peak stage in a squeaky clean metal, glass or copper bowl.
Add the sugar gradually, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Continue beating the egg whites until they've reached the stiff peak stage when the peaks do not curl over.
Fold in the cream of tartar (or vinegar or lemon juice), sift in the cornstarch and beat for a few seconds more.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Beginning in the center of each circle you previously drew, pipe circles of meringue in a spiral. When you reach the outer edge, pipe one or two layers on the edge to create a "nest" for your filling.
Bake for 90 minutes at 225°F. then turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes.
For the Filling and Topping
Chill a bowl and beaters, then whip heavy cream with confectioner's sugar on medium-high speed.Watch carefully, as it's easy to overbeat cream. You'll know it has reached the soft peak stage when the peaks droop down slightly but don't completely lose their shape.Chill the whipped cream until you're ready to assemble the pavlova.
Fill the center of the meringue bases with whipped cream, then top with berries or sliced fruit. Top with a mint sprig or leaf if you like, and serve. (If you fill them too far in advance, the whipped cream may start to soften the meringues.)
Notes
Please refer to the post for helpful tips to make this recipe turn out perfectly.
Berry sugar is finely ground sugar, not as finely ground as confectioner's sugar. If you don't have any, you can grind granulated sugar in your blender.
Cream of tartar helps the egg whites to trap and hold air. If you don't have cream of tartar you can use 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice instead.
Cornstarch helps to keep the inside of the pavlova fluffy with the texture of marshmallows.