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CARAMEL & SPICE PAVLOVA

October 2019 | The Honest Spoon

Heeeeyyyyy!!!! I did a new thing!!! For the first time EVER I decided to add spices to my meringue- cinnamon and clove to be specific. Why? Well Fall is upon us and I was having a moment.

I know it’s such a simple thing- but it took my pavlova and meringues to the NEXT level!! I’m pretty sure Fall/ Winter meringues will never be the same at Chez Honest Spoon!!

When making this, I split the meringue between individual bites and mini pavlovas. Both were inhaled at an equal rate- so no clear winner. Your choice!

I’ve pictured the mini pavlovas. I paired them with vanilla bean ice cream, salted caramel (thank you Trader Joe’s), bananas, whipped cream and cinnamon…..yeah, I know. SO GOOD!

This is one of those recipes where people are SERIOUSLY impressed. Truth be told- Mini Pavlovas are super easy to do. Possibly more important, the shells can be made a few days in advance- just keep at room temp in an air tight container.

Looking for a way you use the yolks? My Pastry Cream recipe calls for 3 egg yolks. It would be a great addition to the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream I used here.

Good to know:

  1. For a classic meringue recipe, the ratio is always 1/4 cup sugar for every egg white. Meaning, you can take this recipe and make as little or as many you’d like.

  2. 3 egg whites will yield 8 large personal pavlovas, or 12 mini pavlovas (mini are a great size- just enough and perfect for parties).

  3. Pavlovas need to be assembled just before eating! Bake the meringue shells ahead and fill before serving.

  4. Making simple meringue bites? This recipe will make 24-36 depending on size.

PIN THIS RECIPE

CARAMEL & SPICE PAVLOVA [GLUTEN FREE]

| Makes 8 large or 8 mini individual Pavlovas |

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 eggs whites, room temperature

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar

  • 3/4 C white sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves

TOPPINGS:

  • Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

  • Salted Caramel (I used Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramel)

  • fresh chopped bananas

  • whipped cream

  • cinnamon

METHOD:

1. Preheat Oven to 200 degrees F.

2. In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Add cinnamon & sugar. Turn up speed to medium/ high and slowly add sugar. Whip until glossy, stiff peaks form. TIP: your bowl and whisk must be CLEAN. Any trace of fat or egg yolk will result in a failed meringue. Take the steps to insure your bowl and whisk are clean and dry!

3. Line a baking sheet (or two depending on desired size), with parchment paper. Evenly dollop the meringue onto the parchment. With a spoon, create a well in the center of each by keeping the tip of the spoon down and at a 45 degree angle moving in a slow clockwise direction.

4. Bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature.

5. Once cooled completely, gently peel off parchment. If making ahead, place in an airtight container up to three days before serving.

6. Layer in your filling. Here I layered vanilla bean ice cream, bananas, warmed salted caramel, whipped cream and top with ground cinnamon.

TIP: Fill just before serving! The pavlova will be soggy and crumbly if filled too early.

Looking for fruity variation? Check out my PAVLOVA DREAMS recipe. I love this one tooooooo!!!!!!

I love to hear your feedback. If you tried this, let me know how it tuned out!