Mini Pavlovas With Berries

These Mini Pavlovas with Berries are a meringue based dessert that have a crunchy exterior but soft and chewy center. Pavlovas can be enjoyed with different choices of fruit toppings, creams and syrups.

These are the best pavlova recipe I have ever made. I chose to finish off my pavlovas with mixed berry toppings. Spring is coming very soon and the markets have the best-tasting berries. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate a new season’s harvest.

What Are Pavlovas?

Pavlovas are a meringue based dessert made with very few ingredients; egg whites, sugar, vanilla, lime juice and cornstarch. What separates a pavlova from a meringue is the added cornstarch that causes the center to be soft and chewy, leaving the exterior hard and crunchy. Pavlovas are also decorated and garnished with fruit toppings, creams, coulis, syrups, etc.

The soft chewy center of a pavlova is achieved by adding cornstarch in it. But if you do not have that or simply would prefer a substitute, you can use cream of tartar instead of cornstarch to get the same result.

How Long Will A Pavlova Keep?

Cooked pavlovas will keep for a day or two at room temperature in an airtight container. When storing your pavlova, the most important thing is to keep it away from heat and moisture otherwise condensation may build up inside and they might get soft and lose their crunch. Keep it somewhere that is cool and dry.

Can You Make A Pavlova The Day Before?

Absolutely! But the better the night before not so early in the day before. They will keep for a day or two so make them as close as possible to when you need to serve them. And pavlovas can be left in the oven overnight. After pavlovas are done baking, they are usually left in the oven for a minimum of 30 minutes to a couple of hours. This should be done to allow the meringue set properly and also cool completely. This will prevent cracks on the meringue. So the pavlova base should be made at least a day before to have a good tasting one.

How Do You Tell If A Pavlova Is Done?

You can tell that a pavlova is done when the exterior has hardened and the color has changed from a bright white to a cream color. Run your fingers lightly on it and do not press into the meringue or you may crack it. However it’s best to keep the oven door shut to not lose heat which may affect the texture. Follow the recipe time and all should be fine.

How To Pipe Mini Pavlovas

Use a piping bag and tip to get a nice shape for your mini pavlovas. Any medium-size design tip of your choice will do. Open stars are the best ones. Gently scoop the wet meringue into the piping bag, secure the top opening and make small swirl circles to create the mini pavlovas.

How To Decorate Mini Pavlovas With Berries

In order to make your berries stick on top of the mini pavlovas, a small dent is made on tope of each one that holds a dollop of whipped cream. Scoop a spoonful of whipped cream on each pavlova, then proceed with decorating them with berries of your choice. I opted for strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. An additional step was taking by dusting powdered sugar on top of the fruits for appeal.