Recipe: Mini Pavlova

The classic meringue topped with whipped cream and fruits. 

I N T R O 

Every year, during Ramadan season usually, I'd sell these. They make look complicated to make and perhaps require a bit of mastering in terms of temperature and patience - but trust me, the result is worth it all. Included below will be list of ingredients I use, method and also a few tips I've learnt from my many, many, attempts of making these. Hope this helps!

I N G R E D I E N T S

• Five egg whites.
• 1 1/2 cups of fine granulated/castor sugar.
• 1 teaspoon of essence of vanilla.
• 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
• 2 tablespoons of cornflour.
• Whipped cream to decorate.
• Assortment of fruits to decorate.

M E T H O D

1. Pre-heat your oven to 150'C.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat your eggs at medium speed. 
3. Once they foam (which takes only a few minutes), add your sugar tablespoon by tablespoon. Turn mixer speed to high.
4. Once your meringue batter turns into a ribbon stage, add in your essence of vanilla, vinegar and cornflour. Continue whisking until soft peaks form.
5. Line your tray with baking paper and either pipe, or dollop your meringue into small circles and place inside your oven. Reduce the heat to 120'C. 
6. Bake for about 45 minutes, until you see small cracks. Turn off your oven, take a wooden spoon to help the oven door be ajar. Leave it to cool for at least another 45 - 60 minutes.
7. Once they are cooled and you're ready to serve, whip your cream. Dollop the cream on top of the pavlovas and garnish with your fruits. Ta-da, you're done!

T I P S 

Here's a few things I've learned from handling these meringues. When beating your eggs, make sure your utensils are clean. Sometimes, I use a slice of lemon to get all the grease out from my Kitchen-Aid bowl. If you're cracking an egg and a piece of shell falls into your egg whites, fret not. The easiest way to scoop that out is by using your egg shell. 

I know some of you have a perception of pavlovas being too sweet. I've tried to decrease the sugar so many times. However, doing so will only result to a flat, foamy pavlova which will be chewy and sticky but definitely not how a pavlova should be like. The amount of sugar I've improvised here is the one that works best for me, but feel free to experiment!

I made this with my friend Sarah just now and she taught me a delicious way to add some flavour to the fruits. Usually, I'd just coat some of the fruits with a teaspoon of icing sugar. Sarah, however, would usually put a bit of lemon juice and sugar to taste. Then she'd mix it with the fruits. It tastes really good, in a way, it brought out more of the fruit's natural sweetness.