Hey hey hey guys! I am back again with another delicious recipe! These screams summer 🌞 Lovely zesty lemony mini pavlovas with delicious tangy berries on top! These flavours work wonders together and always go down a treat at any family event, BBQ, function, girls get together, celebration event..the list goes on. My point is, these are one of my most request desserts any time that there is a social get togteher!
The meringues are deliciously light and not too sweet, the lemon sauce and whipped cream balance out the flavours beautifully and the tangy fruit just tops the whole thing off! I have be been to make a strictly gluten-free recipe that even people who can eat gluten will enjoy! I call this one an all-rounder dessert! 😅
You'll be whipping these up all summer long believe me 😜🍋
Tips For Making Mini Pavlovas
1. Fully preheat your oven and bake right away or pavlovas can start melting or form a layer of brown sugar after baking at the bottom.
2. If using a large 3/4 baking sheet, you can fit them all on one sheet, otherwise, bake on 2 separate baking sheets in the top and bottom thirds of your oven.
3. Make sure to use parchment paper for easy removal from the baking sheet (do not use wax paper – it sticks like crazy).
4. Use a stand mixer for the most effective mixing. If using an electric hand mixer, you may need to add 2 minutes to the mixing time for stiff, smooth and glossy peaks to form. Do not attempt to hand whisk whatever you do! The outcome will not be pretty I'm afraid!
5. Pipe meringue 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide onto the parchment paper using a Wilton 1M Tip. It's the best, just trust me on this one guys. Indent the center with a spoon to allow room for cream.
6. Let pavlovas rest in the warm oven 30 minutes before removing from the oven to ensure the exterior dries appropriately.
What Cream To Use?
These mini pavlovas can be very versatile in terms of flavours and adapting to different peoples allergies and taste bud preferences. One of the things i did consider is the cream aspect of this dessert. Can it be made dairy-free? Or lactose-free? The answer is absolutely it can! As this recipe calls for double cream, i simply just whip it and viola! So you can alternate the recipe with dairy-free/lactose-free cream and whip that up too!
If you don't like the flavour of the cream you can add some extracts to add some flavour or even gel food colouring to change the colour. If you are any flavouring then i would recommend adding extracts as the fruit etc can change the consistency of the cream (it could separate and there could be many disasters with that! - hence why i do leave them plain. Also there is enough flavour n the overall mini pavlova itself in my opinion).
If you are are add food colouring, gel is ideally better as you only need a small amount and it shouldn't change the texture and consistency of the cream. Same if you want to add it to your meringues too!
Why Lemon Sauce?
Lemon curd is a thick preserve that can be used to make lemon meringue pies and classic lemon bars, among other things. The difference between lemon curd and lemon sauce is that curd is thick and spreadable, while the sauce can be poured and drizzled.
In essence, if you love lemon flavours as much I do, you can put it on just about anything you can think of. Here’s a perfect example of how you can use the lemon sauce. Try making a simple dessert by adding a few tablespoons of the sauce to a dessert dish. Add to that a small handful of fresh raspberries and fresh blueberries. Top with a few more tablespoons of the lemon sauce, and lastly, top with a dollop of whipped cream – simple and elegant!
This Sauce pair amazingly with these berries and the sweetness of the meringue too! The flavours work so well together and once you've made this sauce, you want any other recipe them this one right here!
What Fruit To Top It With
You can top it with any fruit that you like. I personally love lemon, blackberry and blueberry together! But any berries work!
I would defiantly recommend using berries and not any other fruit, i.e;
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Gooseberries
Cranberries
as these fruits have a coating around them, kind of like a skin in a way. It just means that no juice nor any liquid will come pouring out and make the pavlovas soggy. Nothing worse then a soggy pavlova. We like them nice and crisp!
Assembling The Mini Pavlovas
These cute little desserts are so easy to assemble. You plomp a bit of cream on top of the meringues, a drizzle of sauce and you stick the fruit on top! These are so simple and easy assemble.
I like to garnish my mini pavlovas with mint leaves, baby's breath flowers, rosemary at times, sometimes i like to add other flower i.e dried rose buds. It really depends on what is aesthetically pleasing in my opinion! 😁
Recipe
A light and glossy meringue, topped with silky smooth cream, zesty lemon dessert sauce and topped with tangy blueberries and blackberries!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour & 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours & 45 minutes
Servings: 24
Author: Zainab
Ingredients:
For the meringues:
4 egg whites
225g caster sugar
½ tbsp cornflour
1 tsp lemon juice *optional
For the cream:
600ml fresh double cream
For the lemon sauce:
200g granulated sugar
3 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
180ml lemon juice, fresh
120ml salted butter
2 tablespoons lemon zest
Toppings & garnishes:
Fresh blackberries
Fresh blueberries
Fresh mint leaves *optional
Fresh flowers *optional
Method:
For the lemon sauce:
1. As this will take the longest amount of time overall i like to make this first so that it has enough time to chill.
Note: I always make mine and leave it in the fridge overnight to ensure a nice thickness but it i snot necessary.
2. Begin by zesting the lemons before you juice them.
Note: Trying to zest lemons that have already been juiced is nearly impossible! You’ll need about 5-6 lemons (depending on the size) to get 180ml of lemon juice.
3. In a mixing jug or medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, sugar, and lemon juice until well mixed.
4. Pour into a medium non-stick sauce pan and turn heat to medium.
Note: It is imperative that you use a non-stick saucepan when making any sauce or liquid involving eggs. You do not want the eggs to burn, it will cause them to scramble or even burn.
5. Add the butter and lemon zest. Continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a slight boil.
6. The sauce will thicken. Once the sauce coats the back of a spoon, it’s done.
7. Remove from heat and set aside.
8. Place a fine mesh sieve over a metal bowl. Pour the lemon sauce through the sieve to remove any lumps. You may need to push the sauce through the sieve which is easy to do with a rubber spatula.
9. Next, pour the sauce into clean mason jars and refrigerate immediately. Allow the sauce to set for 2 hours before using. I do prefer to leave mine overnight as I have mentioned above but 2 hours should be absolutely fine too!
10. Whilst the lemon sauce is setting in the fridge we can move onto the meringues!
For the meringues::
1. Preheat oven to 105C/220°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed for about 1 minute. Slowly add in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer on and beat for another 8min. The mixture will be smooth and form stiff peaks.
3. Use a spatula to fold in the starch (and lemon juice if adding).
4. Next, fill a large piping bag fitted with a 1M tip (**see notes above and below) pipe a circle and work your way up building as you go, a bit like frosting a cupcake. The size needs to be about 10cm length both ways. Pipe all the meringue onto the baking sheet or sheets if you need more and then make an indent into the middle of the meringue. Do this with a tablespoon spoon to create the nest, repeat until you have used up all the meringue mixture.
5. Bake the pavlova for 1 hour. Turn off the oven but do not open the oven door and let the pavlova cool in the oven for another hour.
6. This is wear the lemon dessert sauce can still be setting in the fridge.
Whipping the cream:
1. This part is by far the simplest. Add all of the cream into a mixing bowl and whisk until it is light whipped. It is stiff but can still move a little. See above pictures for the right consistency.
Note: Also for dairy-free cream or lactose-free cream see notes above.
2. This step can be done with a stand mixer, electric whisk or hand whisk. I personally use a stand mixer for convenience.
Assembling the mini pavlovas:
1. Once everything is cooled and ready, we can assemble! ⚒
2. So first things first you want to lay out all of meringues that have been cooling onto some sort of tray. I just usually put them on my serving boards that i use to display the mini pavlovas.
3. Fill each one with 1 teaspoon on cream. I know this doesn't seem like a lot but with fruit added and the sauce, you don't want it to overflow. Do so for remaining meringues.
4. Next, add a drizzle of the lemon sauce over the top of the cream. I use maybe half a teaspoon to a full teaspoon sometimes. Don't flatten anything out as the berries need to sit into the cream and sauce.
5. Add on the blackberries and blueberries and garnish with mint and baby's breath if desired.
6. Voila! Gorgeous! ☺️
Notes
The meringues usually should be eaten within 6-7 hours. You can store them in the fridge for up to 2 days but there is a chance t cream will sink through.
If you don't happen use up all your meringue nests, they can be store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks at room temperature. These can be used for delicious desserts like Eton Mess! 😋
Any left over lemon sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
These are the mason jars that i use to store all my sauces and jams. They are perfect for picnics and come with straws and non-spill lids etc. Love these.
If you are wanting to use dairy-free cream i have some great options. Do not use canned whipping cream as the cream will not hold. I love this brand of dairy-free cream and this brand for lactose-free cream.
I use this piping nozzle create my meringue nests.
Hope you all enjoyed this recipe! If you do use this recipe be sure to tag me. My Instagram Page is: Bakewithzainab.
Also be sure to comment down below with any questions you may have.
Lots of love
Zainab xx
© Bake With Zainab – Zainab Moughal. I own all content and photos’ copyright. Before using my photos and recipes, please email me. If you would like to republish a recipe, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.
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