meringue desserts

A detailed, step by step recipe on how to make the Perfect Pavlova! A crisp outer shell and a soft, airy and fluffy marshmallow center! A classic New Zealand and Australian dessert. Intermediate - Requires basic skills for creating egg white foam and the difference between the stages of meringue peaks. Information provided in the recipe + post will help achieve good results. Weather sensitive + long baking time. US‌ ‌based‌ ‌cup,‌ ‌teaspoon,‌ ‌tablespoon‌ ‌measurements.‌ ‌‌Common‌ ‌Measurement‌ ‌Conversions‌.‌ ‌‌Weight‌ ‌measurements‌ ‌are‌ ‌recommended‌ ‌for‌ ‌accurate‌ ‌results.‌

Perfect Pavlova

sugar granulated sugar, pulsed to make it finer)

cornstarch (tightly packed tbsp, 8 -10 g)

tsp white vinegar (10 mL

tsp grated lemon zest (optional (from a dry lemon))

whipping cream (35% fat)

tbsp confectioner’s sugar

tsp vanilla extract

kiwi fruits (peeled and sliced)

strawberries (or more)

passion fruit pulp/syrup or lemon curd (optional)

Make sure all the equipment is clean and dry (mixer bowl, whisk, two spatulas, sugar bowl, bowls to separate egg yolks and whites etc.).

Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C. Cut a piece of parchment paper that&#x27;s big enough to line a baking tray. Draw a circle that&#x27;s 8 in / 20 cm in diameter on the underside of the parchment paper. Line the baking tray with the parchment paper (with the drawn circle on the underside). Set aside until needed.

Carefully break an egg, and strain the egg white into a small clean bowl, taking care not to break the egg yolk. Once you&#039;ve successfully separated the egg white, transfer this into a mixer bowl that is on a weighing scale. Repeat with more eggs, until you have 221 g of egg whites (give or take 5 grams). If you get any yolk into the egg white, you must discard the contaminated egg white and start again with another egg.

Do not throw away the egg yolks, since you can make other recipes with them (see end of the post for some ideas). Store egg yolks in an air-tight container, with a layer of water to coat them on top.

Once the egg whites are measured and in the mixer bowl, whisk the egg whites on speed 4 (on a 10 speed mixer) until it reaches soft peak stage (i.e. when you lift the whisk, soft peaks should be formed in the egg whites). This may take about 10 minutes.

When the egg whites are at soft peak stage, lower the speed to 3, and add the sugar, 1 - 2 tbsp at a time. Make sure each addition of sugar is dissolved before adding the next. I wait about 30 seconds between each addition. Also scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once, while adding the sugar. Do not rush this process. This can take about 10 -15 minutes.

Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to 4, and whisk the egg whites just until the sugar has completely dissolved, and the egg whites are thick and glossy, and hold their shape well.

Here&#x27;s how to check if the sugar has dissolved - take a small amount of the meringue mix between your fingers and rub it. If it feels grainy or has any granules, then there&#x27;s undissolved sugar. If you don&#x27;t feel any granules or grittiness, then the sugar is completely dissolved. I also like to make sure that I don’t see any undissolved sugar in a few other places in the meringue (under the whisk, in the bowl etc).

Whisking egg whites until the sugar completely dissolves can take between 15 - 30 minutes, depending on the sugar you use. Do not rush this, and check on the meringue periodically to make sure you won’t over-whisk it. Use the spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times as well.

While the egg whites are being whisked, place the cornstarch and vinegar in a small bowl and mix to combine. The cornstarch mix will be a thick, paste like slurry. (please note cornstarch forms an ooblek that is a solid when sitting, but a paste when moving around).

Once the sugar is dissolved, and the meringue is glossy and thick, immediately add the cornstarch and vinegar slurry. Increase the speed to about 5 - 6 and let the cornstarch slurry mix into the egg whites for about 30 - 45 seconds. Then stop whisking and remove the bowl from the mixer.

Using a clean spatula, scoop the meringue in the bowl out on to the parchment paper with the drawn circle. Pile the meringue in the middle of the drawn circle. Be careful not to scoop out the top edge of meringue in the mixer bowl to prevent any undissolved sugar getting into the mixture (see picture in the post).

Using an offset spatula, spread the meringue mix to fill the drawn circle on the parchment paper. Make sure the meringue mix is evenly tall.

Once you have shaped the pavlova (see pictures in the post), use an offset spatula or palette knife to create furrows along the sides of the pavlova, going from bottom to top. Smoothen the edges to get rid of meringue points (that can burn easily). The pavlova should have soft, rounded edges. Create some swirls on the middle of the meringue on top as well.

Transfer the cake into the preheated oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 225°F / 110°C.

Bake the pavlova for 90 minutes. Do not open the oven door during this time.

When the 90 minutes are up, turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool down in the oven overnight (or up to 6 hours, until completely cooled down).

Transfer the pavlova into an air-tight container and store in a cool dry place (free of draft), until ready to serve. Do not store in the fridge or freezer.

Pavlova Base

Place the chilled whipping cream in a chilled bowl. Whisk the cream on medium speed. (Do not over-whisk the cream as it can become grainy. If you whisk the cream on high, you risk over-beating it, and the cream will deflate faster, making the pavlova runny.)

While whisking the cream, add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla into it. Mix until you have stiff peaks, but the cream is still smooth.

Spread the cream on top of the pavlova, and top it with the prepared fruits. Drizzle/spread the passion fruit of lemon curd over the top as well (if using).

Serve immediately.

To serve the pavlova

A sweet, light, airy, and melt in your mouth creamy filling! Chiboust cream is a custard-based recipe that is also known as St. Honoré cream since it&#39;s used to make the classic dessert - St Honore gateau!INTERMEDIATE - This recipe requires some knowledge about making meringue and custard. Beginners can certainly make this recipe easily, but I highly recommend that you read the entire post for the detailed tips on how to perfect this recipe. Makes approximately 675 g or 3 ⅓ cups of creme chiboust. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results.

Creme Chiboust Recipe (Chiboust Cream)

240 mL full-fat milk (1 cup)

sea salt

g sugar (about 2 generous tbsp)

egg yolks (from large eggs (save the egg whites from these eggs

cornstarch (2 ½ tbsp)

vanilla extract

g butter (2 tbsp)

gelatin

water

150 g white sugar (¾ cup)

water (⅓ cup)

If you’re using powdered gelatin, place the water (regular tap water, not warm) in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over it, and gently stir it to hydrate the gelatin. Set aside to let it bloom for at least 10 minutes, and until the custard is cooked.

If you’re using sheet gelatin, place some cold tap water in a big bowl or dish that is big enough to fit the gelatin sheets. You can cut them in half if needed.

Completely submerge the gelatin sheets in the water. It&#39;s OK if the sheets stick to each other.

When the gelatin sheets have bloomed, they should be very soft. You can keep them soaked in water until the custard is cooked. Before adding the gelatin sheets, you must take them out of the water and squeeze them in your hands to remove the excess water before adding them to the custard.

Blooming the gelatin

In a small saucepan, place the milk and salt and heat until the milk is steaming, and it&#39;s just about to simmer. The milk does not need to come to a boil to make custard with it.

While the milk is heating, in a separate bowl, place the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch. Whisk very well until the egg yolks start to look a little pale and thick, and there are absolutely no lumps in the mixture.

Temper the egg mixture by pouring the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture in a SLOW and THIN stream while constantly whisking the egg yolk mixture. This will ensure that the egg mixture warms up gently without turning into scrambled eggs. You would only need to add about ½ - ¾ of the milk mixture to achieve this.

Once the egg mixture is tempered, add the tempered egg mix back into the pot with the rest of the milk, and return it back to the stove.

Heat the custard base over medium low heat while whisking very frequently. Make sure to use the whisk to get all the corners and edges of the pot to ensure that the milk is not “setting” anywhere and forming scrambled eggs.

The custard will start to thicken, but keep whisking until the custard starts to come to a boil. To check if the custard is boiling, you will need to pause whisking for a few seconds at a time to check if there are any bubbles breaking the surface.

After the first bubbles break the surface, keep cooking the custard while constantly whisking for a further 1 - 2 minutes.

When the custard has finished cooking, remove it from the heat and pass it through a sieve into a large bowl.

Add the butter and bloomed gelatin and whisk until the butter and gelatin have dissolved and mixed in completely with the custard.

Place a plastic wrap over the surface of the custard, and make sure that the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top.

Allow the custard to cool down to room temperature. Do not keep it in the fridge, as the gelatin will set the custard. If that happens, you&#39;ll need to whisk the custard before adding the meringue, and the gelatin will not set as well as you would want it to afterwards.

When the custard is at room temperature (between 72 - 75°F), you can start to make the Italian meringue.

Making the pastry cream base

Place the egg whites in a dry, clean metal mixing bowl. Add a pinch of cream of tartar and salt. Keep the bowl in your stand mixer and set it aside until the syrup is ready.

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Using a spoon or spatula, move the sugar around to make sure the sugar is hydrated by the water.

Heat the sugar syrup over medium / medium high heat. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar as the water heats up.

When all the sugar has dissolved, close the pot with the lid, and let the mixture boil for about 1 - 2 minutes. This will allow water to wash down the sides of the pot to re-dissolve the sugar that may have crystallized. Alternatively, you can use a clean pastry brush dipped in cold water to brush the sides of the pot.

Keep cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches 235°F / 113°C. Make sure to swirl the pot from time to time to evenly heat the syrup.

When the sugar reaches 235°F / 113°C, you can start to mix the egg whites on low speed.

The sugar syrup is ready to use when it reaches 240°F / 115°C (firm ball stage). It&#39;s OK if it’s anywhere between 240 - 245°F (115 - 118°C).

At this point, the egg whites should be whisked to soft peaks.

Pour the sugar syrup into the egg white mixture in a thin, slow stream while whisking the eggs on medium speed. Make sure to pour the sugar syrup between the bowl and the whisk to prevent the sugar syrup from splattering everywhere.

Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed of the mixer to high and whisk the meringue until you have glossy, stiff peaks. This should only take a few minutes.

Making the Italian meringue

Add about ⅓ of the meringue mix into the room temperature custard, and mix to loosen up the custard base.

Add the rest of the meringue and fold it in until there are no more white streaks in the custard. Be gentle when you fold in the meringue because if you mix it too vigorously, you will lose the air and it may deflate too much.

It&#39;s very important to use the creme chiboust while it’s at room temperature, since it will set in the fridge. If you do want to keep the creme chiboust in the fridge, you will need to whisk it again before using. However, keep in mind that this will deflate the mixture AND not set as well again, because the gelatin has been disrupted.

Making creme chiboust

I’ve been looking for a good vanilla filling for my choux buns for ages. This fits the bill with a strong flavor and light texture. The only thing I changed was adding a teaspooon of vanilla to the egg whites as they were whipping. Delicious! Thank you.

These mini pavlovas are a simple, single serve dessert topped with whipped cream, mixed berry compote, fresh berries, and mint!

Mini Pavlovas

cream of tartar

sugar

cornstarch

whipped cream

berry compote

berries

mint

Preheat the oven to 225°F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until frothy.

Gradually add in granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time and increase mixer to medium-high speed. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (about 5-6 minutes).

Add in the cornstarch and very gently fold until completely incorporated. Be careful not to deflate the meringue while mixing. 

Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large tip (I use the Wilton 1M tip for these pavlovas).

This is optional but I like to trace 3 inch circles on a piece of parchment paper. Then place a silicone liner over top to pipe the pavlovas onto.

Pipe 3 inch mounds, at least 2 inches apart from each other, and use spoon to hollow out the surface slightly (so that you have a place for your toppings). Instead of a piping bag, you can also use a spoon to dollop the meringue inside the circles and use the spoon to shape into a nest with a slight hollow at the top.

Bake at 225°F for 1 hour. Then turn off the oven (do not open!) and allow the pavlovas to continue drying in the oven for another 1-2 hours. The outsides should be fully dry to the touch and they should peel off easily.

Once dry, top with whipped cream, homemade berry compote, and fresh berries if desired!

love them it is delicious and very pretty dessert.

An excellent and easy recipe. The maringue remained very  white. Hard on outside and chewy on the inside. It was a delicious pavlova. Will make this again.

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