Last month, I shared with you my go-to crumble recipe that makes prepping dessert for a dinner party a breeze. Another of my go-to desserts for summer is the Pavlova! I am amazed by how this simple, yet delicious, dessert can be such a show stopper. When it comes to baking, I definitely live by Leonardo da Vinci’s words: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
The trick is to select good ingredients, let them shine and do the work for you! In this case, the star of these adorable mini pavlovas is Tillamook Cinnamon Horchata ice cream (c/o Tillamook). This extra creamy ice cream has a subtle hint of cinnamon, similar to simple vanilla bean ice cream, but even better! It’s sweetness contrasts the acidity of the roasted pineapples and complements the crunchy meringues perfectly.
Baking the meringue might be the most time consuming step of this recipe because they need to dry slowly in the oven so that they’re crispy and not chewy. But since they can keep in an airtight container for up to a week, you can definitely bake them ahead of time and assemble everything right before serving. In a rush? Feel free to skip the roasting step and top your mini pavlovas with fresh pineapples or any other summer fruits or berries.
Ingredients
For the meringue nests: (makes 5 mini pavlovas)
- 75 g egg whites (approx. 2 large eggs)
- 150 g white sugar
- pinch of salt
For the roasted pineapples:
- 2 cups diced pineapples
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
For the assembly:
- Tillamook Cinnamon Horchata ice cream (c/o)
- honey
- cinnamon
- sweetened coconut flakes
- sea salt
Directions
For the meringue nests:
Preheat the oven to 200⁰F (95⁰C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Whisk on medium-high speed until the egg whites look foamy and frothy. Slowly stream in the sugar, then increase the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks. Portion the meringue into five mounds on the baking sheet and use a spoon to create a well in the center of each one. Bake the pavlovas for 90 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven to cool completely.
For the roasted pineapples:
Preheat the oven to 450⁰F (230⁰C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss together the pineapple, sugar, oil and cinnamon. Place on the baking sheet and roast until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool down.
For the assembly:
When ready to serve, spoon two scoops of Tillamook Cinnamon Horchata ice cream into the meringue nests and top with roasted pineapples. Finish with a drizzle of honey, a small pinch of cinnamon, some sweetened coconut flakes and a pinch of sea salt.
You could use this recipe to make one big pavlova and cut it into slices to serve, but if you’d like to avoid the mess that could result in trying to slice it, then I’d strongly recommend sticking with the individual ones. Plus, I find that guests are even more impressed and excited when they have their own portions. Definitely a nice touch that will make you gain points right from the start!
Photography and recipe by Bartisserie for Jojotastic.
pssst… more great recipes right this way!
