These Black Forest Mini Pavlovas are incredibly easy to make yet quite the showstopper! They're crisp on the outside, and fluffy in the middle with pockets of chocolate that are topped with whipped cream, more chocolate and heavenly cherry compote.
few dropsfresh lemon juice or vinegarfor cleaning the mixer
For the pavlova
4largeeggs,separated (we will only need the whites for this recipe)
½teaspooncream of tartar
1½cupswhite granulated sugar
½cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips,melted and cooled
For the cherry compote
1poundfrozen cherries
¼cupwhite granulated sugar
1tablespoonkirsch or cherry liqueur
For topping
1½cupsheavy whipping cream
3tablespoonspowdered sugar
2ouncessemi-sweet chocolate,grated
12 to 18fresh cherries to decorate
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 225ºF.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. You may need 2 of them depending on their size.
Clean the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment with fresh lemon juice or white vinegar.
Add the egg whites from 4 large eggs and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar to the mixing bowl.
Begin beating with a whisk attachment on the slowest speed.
When bubbles appear increase the speed to medium and whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
On a high speed, add 1½ cups white sugar 1 tablespoon at a time ensuring the sugar is fully incorporated and the egg whites comes back to stiff peaks between each addition.
When all the sugar has been added dip your thumb and forefinger into the meringue mixture and feel it. If it feels grainy continue to whisk on a high speed until the mixture feels slippery. This can take several minutes.
Then pour in the cooled melted chocolate but don’t stir it.
Dab a little of the meringue under each corner of the baking parchment to secure it to the baking sheet(s).
Use two tablespoons to scoop up portions of the meringue and place them on the baking sheet(s) leaving a small amount of space in-between. You should be able to make about 6 individual-sized pavlovas or 12 mini pavlovas.
Use a spoon to make a well in the center of each one.
Place the cookie sheet(s) into the oven and set a timer for 1 hour.
After 1 hour open the oven door and test for doneness. The meringues should feel dry and will peel away from the baking parchment when they are ready.
At this point leave the cookie sheets inside the oven and close the oven door. Leave the meringues until the oven has completely cooled. You can leave them overnight if you want to.
Meanwhile, make the cherry compote:
Add the frozen cherries and sugar to a medium size saucepan set over a low heat.
Cook for 10-15 minutes until the cherries have broken down and you have a thick consistency.
Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch.
Set aside to cool.
Add the heavy cream to a large mixing bowl along with the powdered sugar.
Whisk to very soft peaks.
To assemble the pavlovas:
Fill the dip in the meringue with the whipped cream then scatter over the grated chocolate.
Top with two heaped tablespoons of cherry compote and add fresh cherries on top.
Drizzle over some cherry syrup before serving.
Notes
Cleaning the mixing bowl and whisk attachment with lemon or vinegar ensures they are spotlessly clean and free from grease. Using clean apparatus helps to achieve perfect meringue.
The cream of tartar helps to stabilize the egg whites so they whisk quickly and the sugar is more likely to fully dissolve. It’s also what makes the meringues chewy (rather than hard) in the middle.
It’s important to add the sugar slowly in small increments to ensure it fully dissolves so don’t rush this step.
Checking the meringue mixture to see if it feels slippery is necessary because any grains of sugar left when the egg mixture goes into the oven it can cause it to leak.
As you scoop up and shape the meringue with the spoons the chocolate will gradually mix into the white meringue mixture giving a marbling effect.
It’s important to leave the meringues in the oven until it is cool as this helps to prevent any cracking.
The kirsch is added after the cherries have reduced down so that the alcohol doesn’t burn off.
To make ahead, bake the pavlovas and make the cherry compote then store separately until you are ready to put them together. Make the whipped cream filling and assemble the toppings immediately before serving.
Storage
Undecorated pavlovas will keep for at least a week in an airtight container at room temperature. If you attempt to refrigerate them the egg mixture will start to dissolve.
Cherry compote can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week as well.
Once assembled these Black Forest Pavlovas are best eaten immediately.
Substitutions
You can omit the cream of tartar and follow the recipe as directed however the process may take longer and the meringues will be crisper.
For the cherry compote we used frozen cherries as they are cheaper and already pitted. You can substitute frozen for fresh but be sure to remove the pits from the cherries. And add a tablespoon of water at the cooking stage.
Kirsch is traditionally the ingredient that makes something ‘Black Forest’ flavor, however, it can be substituted with any cherry liqueur or cherry juice.