When summer reaches its peak and strawberries ripen to perfection, dessert lovers increasingly opt for a delicate but extremely tasty treat - mini pavlovas with fresh strawberries. This exquisite dessert, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, has developed over the years into a symbol of culinary elegance and sophistication. In the following, we will explore how pavlova arrived on our plates and how we can conjure up these little works of art at home.
Pavlova, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful desserts in the world, got its name from Anna Pavlova, who danced in New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s. During her visit, hoteliers and pastry chefs went above and beyond to create a dessert that reflected her lightness and elegance. Despite years of debate between New Zealanders and Australians about who invented the dessert, pavlova has undeniably become a part of their culinary heritage.
Photo: Eugene/UnsplashMini pavlovas
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the crust:
- 200 g of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of cream
- 4 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar Ingredients for the cream:
- 100 g of strawberries
- 240 ml of whipping cream
- 30 g of powdered sugar
- strawberries for decoration
Directions
- Heat the oven to 170 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, add salt and mix briefly at medium speed.
- Then add one spoonful each of sugar and thickener, which you previously mixed in a special container. Mix on medium speed while adding the sugar mixture and the thickener.
- When you have used all the sugar and thickener mixture, increase the speed so that the egg whites stick to a stiff cream.
- When the egg white snow is of perfect thickness, add the vanilla extract, vinegar and beat lightly to combine everything.
- Using a pastry bag, form eight nesting mounds from the resulting snow on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and put them in the oven, which you lower to 150 degrees. 6. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and open the oven door halfway to allow the crusts to dry a little more. Leave it like this for about an hour until they cool completely.
- Prepare the strawberry cream by chopping the strawberries into small pieces, dusting them with powdered sugar and adding them to the whipping cream that you whipped earlier.
- If you find the strawberries sweet enough, you can leave out the sugar.
- When the flaky skins have cooled enough, you fill them with strawberry cream.
- Garnish everything with diced strawberries, or you can add other berries or mint leaves for a bit of greenery.
Making mini pavlos requires dedication, as the egg whites must be whipped to perfection. You start with beating the egg whites into firm snow, gradually adding sugar until the mixture is shiny and stable. Spread on the baking sheet small circles of meringue and you bake them at a low temperature so that they retain their white color and become crispy on the outside but remain soft in the center. Traditionally, pavlovas are filled with whipped cream, which can be enriched with vanilla extract for additional aroma. You apply on top fresh strawberries, which you can previously marinate in a little sugar and lemon juice to release the juices.
Mini pavlovas are ideal for summer parties, as they can be served elegantly and are just the right size for guests to indulge in without feeling overwhelmed. They also offer the opportunity to experiment with different fruit combinations – in addition to strawberries, they are also great with raspberries, kiwi or even tropical fruits.
