Chocolate Pavlova
Heart shaped chocolate pavlova with whipped cream, berries, and passion fruit curd
It wasn’t until I started dating my now husband that I started to define what a romantic Valentine’s Day means for me. I’m still pretty laid back about the whole affair, but I impose one hard rule: no restaurants on Valentine’s Day. Before or after in honor of Valentine’s Day is fine, but I don’t want to deal with the “special” menu for two or the poor, hassled waitstaff who just want to turn your table for the next reservation. On top of that, my most memorable Valentine’s Day restaurant experience was a business trip dinner with two older male co-workers. Our party of three was handed Valentine’s Day menus printed on pink paper without any comment and it was ridiculous and a little awkward. I wouldn’t say the experience scared me, but it certainly left an impression.
Instead, we cook a simple but special meal together: a steak to share, some kind of vegetable, a nice bottle of wine, and a special dessert. Oh, and cards (dhu)! This year the dessert was chocolate pavlova.
Pavlova hales from Australia/New Zealand and is the perfect meeting of crisp on the outside, marshmallowy soft on the inside. Typically topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, it’s elegant without trying too hard. My first and favorite pavlova recipe is from Laura O’Neill, as presented in Cherry Bombe Magazine Issue 5, which I used as the starting point of my recipe.
Let’s talk a bit about culinary foams. Foams are air trapped in a liquid solution. While a modern eater who lived through the molecular gastronomy boom of the 00’s might roll their eyes at the idea of foams being cutting edge, egg foams were a culinary wonder of the 1800’s. As culinary tools improved and the whisk was established, cooks were able to create egg foams as we know them today and dishes like souffles were cutting edge, elevated cuisine for the rich.
The most stable egg foams are made just from the egg whites, the protein ladened, lipid-free portion of the egg. Egg whites create stable foams when the proteins in them unfold under the friction of whipping and create new bonds. The unfolding proteins expose hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions of the protein strands to air and water, which will want to bond to their respective like elements.
Sugar is a double edged sword for egg foam stability. On one hand, by thickening the egg white solution, it protects the bubbles from popping. On the other hand, it interferes with the unfolding and bonding of proteins, slowing the formation of the foam. This is why in most meringue recipes you are instructed to add your sugar when the egg whites have reached soft peaks (egg whites are just starting to hold shape but melt back into themselves after a second) so the proteins have the chance to unravel and form some bonds before adding the sugar.
Meringue at stiff peaks
In the case of pavlova, you are looking for a nice, dense meringue to lend to that marshmallow-like center. This recipe relies on the addition of white vinegar near the end to further lend to the stability of the foam. Where I’d normally add cornstarch to help retain moisture, I replaced it with cocoa powder. Cocoa powder has a surprising amount of fiber, which holds moisture well. It also has fat, which will interfere with your foam structure somewhat, making the center a bit softer and denser than your typical pavlova. However, I found that this leans into the richness of the chocolate and is a great contrast to the crisp exterior of the dessert.
When researching this recipe, I was surprised to see that the top few recipes didn’t think to leverage the flavor power of instant coffee. Coffee is a fairly common chocolate cake addition used to enhance the chocolate-y flavor, so why not in chocolate pavlova? Instant coffee is perfect here, since it’s flavor is concentrated and no additional liquid is needed.
Lastly, this recipe is written so you can make one larger pavlova to share with many people or two smaller pavlovas which are the perfect size for two people. I did several trials making a ½ batch of this recipe and it sort of worked, but I never got the best texture. My best guess is that ½ batch is too small for the size of my stand mixer bowl to optimally whip (I have a 6 qt bowl). If you have a smaller mixer or prefer using a hand mixer, you might have better luck making a ½ recipe. That being said, I see no problem with having an extra pavlova to share with someone else, or dessert for the day after Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate Pavlova
For 2-4
Time: 20 minutes active, 2 hours 30 minutes total
Built from Laura O’Neill’s pavlova recipe as written in Cherry Bombe Issue No. 5
For the Pavlova
4 large egg whites (120 g)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
¼ tsp Diamond kosher salt
¼ tsp instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp white vinegar
3 tbsp cocoa powder (15 g)
To Finish
Whipped cream (~½ heavy whipping cream with a touch of sugar and vanilla extract)
Fresh fruit
Chocolate shavings, fruit curd, etc.
Useful Equipment
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Sieve
Rubber spatula
An offset spatula (optional)
Preheat your oven to 250°F. If you can, let your egg whites come up to room temperature for at least an hour. This will help your egg whites whip up faster.
In a clean stand mixer bowl with a clean whisk (grease free), begin to whip your egg whites on medium high speed. When the eggs have reached soft peaks (the egg whites are just starting to hold shape but melt back into themselves after a second), add a Tablespoon of your granulated sugar. Let the sugar dissolve into the mix for about 10 seconds before adding another Tablespoon. Continue adding your sugar tablespoon by tablespoon until all your sugar is in the bowl. It’s important for the sugar to be all in the bowl before the meringue reaches the medium peaks stage.
Once all of the sugar is incorporated, turn up the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks. This can take upwards of 10 minutes. I find that as the meringue reaches stiff peaks, the whites build in the whisk and leave a distinct pattern in the bowl.
While the egg whites whip, blend your salt, instant coffee, vanilla extract, and white vinegar together in a small bowl. Set aside your cocoa powder in a separate bowl.
Once the egg whites are at stiff peaks, remove the bowl from the mixer and pour your vanilla and vinegar mixture over your meringue. Fold the mixture into the meringue with a rubber spatula until they are mostly incorporated (a few steaks will be fine).
Using a sieve, dust your cocoa powder over the egg whites. Fold in the cocoa powder until there are few to no streaks, being careful not to over mix.
On a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet, dollop on your meringue. You can either split the meringue to make two smaller pavlova or make one large pavlova. Using a spatula (I like using an offset spatula), smooth and shape the meringue into a circle, heart, or any other shape you wish, making sure the sides are higher than the center to create a divot.
Bake your pavlova(s) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. There should be no browning on the surface, but the outside should be dry and hard to the touch. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let the pavlova(s) cool in the oven completely, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Carefully move the pavlova(s) to a serving plate, fill the divot with whipped cream, and garnish with fruit and any other toppings you desire. Enjoy your pavlova with the special people in your life!
Notes:
Cracks and crinkle patterns are common on pavlova, so embrace them! Besides, whipped cream hides all sins and is delicious.