Happy Australia Day (and some gorgeous mini pavlovas)
Happy Australia Day everyone! For those of you reading this from somewhere in Australia, I hope you have a fantastic day and are enjoying your long weekend! And for everyone else? Why not join in our national celebrations today by making some of these gorgeous mini pavlovas!
I had been planning to put together a special selection of quintessentially Aussie cuisine to share with you all today, but despite the good intentions, unfortunately Life got in the way and I ran out of time to make and photograph everything. It happens sometimes.
But, it wouldn’t be a celebration without some sort of treat and thankfully, I had just enough time to make these lovely mini pavlovas! Well, it is Australia Day, after all!
For the Australians and New Zealanders amongst us, I know there is strong contention between our two nations over origin and ownership of the pavlova. The dessert is said to have been presented to the famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova, during her world tour in 1926. And while the debate will no doubt continue over when the pavlova was originally created, and in what country, I think we can at least agree that the pavlova has earned a place amongst both our countries quintessential national dishes. And for good reason too!
Today, I’ve topped these mini pavlovas off with pomegranate and blueberries, but one of the best things about a pavlova is that you can pretty much choose to dress it with whatever takes your fancy (well, within reason). So if my choice of topping doesn’t take your fancy, feel free to get creative! Enjoy x
- 4-6 egg whites (approximately 150ml)
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour, sifted
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 250 ml single cream, whipped
- 100g blueberries
- pomegranate seeds
- Preheat oven to 180°C and pre-line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
- Whisk the egg whites with the salt using an electric mixer until peaks form.
- Gradually add the sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
- Gently fold the sifted cornflour, vanilla and vinegar into the meringue.
- Gently spoon the meringue mixture onto the baking trays, forming 6 to 10 individual meringues (depending on preferred size).
- Using the back of the spoon, make a small indentation in the centre of each mini meringue (this should help later, when it comes to adding the cream and fruit).
- Reduce oven to 150°C and bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for at least 30 minutes, during which time, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR.
- After 30 minutes, open the oven door and leave the meringues in the oven to cool completely.
- When ready to assemble, add a good dollop of cream to each mini meringue, then top with your choice of topping.
- Serves 6-10.
- Tip – To help create uniform sized mini pavlovas, try drawing circles on the baking paper the size you’d like your mini pavlovas to be, then spoon the meringue into the circles.
- Remember to allow sufficient space between meringues and adjust the cooking time, depending on size!
Rebecca @ Dorm Room Baker
02/02/2014 at 5:18 pm (11 years ago)Omigosh these pavlovas look amazing! I love the color combination from the blueberries and the pomegranate. Plus being a history major I always enjoy a good historical tidbit. I hope you had a happy Australia Day!
Rachel
02/02/2014 at 6:17 pm (11 years ago)Thanks Rebecca, I’m glad you like them and the little snippet about their past. I thought the colours worked really well too – the inspiration came from the colours in our flag for Australia Day, which was great thanks! The pavlovas went down a treat!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic
02/02/2014 at 3:33 pm (11 years ago)These are so pretty! I’ve never made my own pavlovas before. Now I’m craving it 🙂
Rachel
02/02/2014 at 6:20 pm (11 years ago)Hi Bianca, thanks so much for commenting 🙂 I’m glad you like the pics. You should definitely try making some pavlovas. They are really simple to make and not only taste good but they always look so pretty! And if somehow the meringues don’t turn out, you can always break them up and make Eaton Mess 🙂
Medeja
26/01/2014 at 4:12 pm (11 years ago)These Pavlovas look so cute and perfect!’
Happy Australia Day!
Rachel
28/01/2014 at 11:04 am (11 years ago)Hi Medeja, its good to hear from you again! Thanks so much for the Australia Day wishes and I’m so glad you like the pavlovas 🙂 I stopped by your blog today and have to say, your banana pudding looks pretty scrummy and something I’ll have to try when the weather becomes a little cooler here! Looking forward to seeing what you have to share with us next time. Have a great day.