Mini Berry Pavlovas with Pomegranate Molasses Caramel Sauce
These mini pavlovas can be made a few days in advance and are easily transportable. A tip if you are using backyard eggs (as I did) or super fresh eggs: you will get a loftier meringue if they are at least 1 week old. I “age” the eggs from our hens for making meringue by dating them and stashing in the pantry.
Servings 8Makes
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 1 hourhr
Cooling time: 4 hourshrs
Ingredients
6egg whites - size 7, at room temperature
220g1 cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
1tspwhite wine vinegar
1tbspcornflour or tapioca starch
1tbspfreeze-dried berry powder – I used raspberry (optional)
Pomegranate molasses caramel sauce
¾cup100g brown sugar
1tbspwater
1tbsppomegranate molasses or golden syrup
½cup125ml cream
Pinchof salt
To serve
300mlcream, whipped
4tbspnatural unsweetened yoghurt
400graspberries
Seeds of half of a pomegranate (optional)
Small edible rose petals to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Line two oven trays with baking paper. Preheat oven to 140C (not fan bake).
Using an electric beater or stand mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition until the mixture is thick and glossy. Continue to beat the meringue for 8-10 minutes to completely dissolve the sugar into the egg white. Once you can rub a small amount of meringue between your fingers and feel no sugar grains, you are good to go.
Use a large metal spoon to fold through the vinegar, cornflour/tapioca starch and berry powder. Dollop the meringue in 8cm rounds onto the prepared trays – four on each – evenly spaced. Don’t overwork the meringue, just pile it high as it will sink and spread a little as it cooks. Carefully place the pavlovas in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until the outside is lightly crispy – switching the trays halfway through the time to ensure they cook evenly cooking. Turn off the heat and leave to cool completely inside the oven. These can be made a few days in advance and stored in an airtight container.
Make the caramel sauce. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently until dissolved. Simmer for 1 minute into a thick caramel. Remove from the heat, add the pomegranate molasses and slowly add the cream. Return to the heat, stir and cook for another minute until smooth. Pour into a serving jug.
Combine the whipped cream and yoghurt.
To serve, place the mini pavlovas on serving plates, dollop with cream, scatter with raspberries, and pomegranate seeds and drizzle with caramel sauce. Garnish with edible rose petals. Keep the jug of caramel sauce handy for extra drizzling, as required.