Individual Chocolate Raspberry Pavlovas Recipe
These Individual Chocolate Raspberry Pavlovas are a delicious balance between rich, decadent dark chocolate, smooth whipped cream and a slightly sour punch from the raspberry compote. The chocolate meringue base is flavoured with cocoa powder and has a deep chocolate flavour. The meringue is crisp on the outside and wonderfully chewy on the inside.
So how do I make these Individual Chocolate Raspberry Pavlovas from scratch?
We can break this recipe down into a few steps;
- Chocolate Meringue
- Raspberry Compote
- Whipped Cream
Chocolate Meringue
To begin making the chocolate meringue, add the egg white and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk on high speed for 4-5 minutes until the eggs have doubled in size and started to become thick. They will form light “ribbons” when they are ready, this means that when you pour some of the meringue, it will form shapes. You can see the third picture below for reference.
In another bowl, mix together the icing sugar and cornflour. Using a dessert spoon, add a large spoonful at a time to the egg whites, whisking well in between additions. Once you have added all the icing sugar mix, return the speed to high and whisk for another 4-5 minutes until the meringue has become stiff and glossy.
Sieve the cocoa powder into the meringue and mix for 30-60 seconds until fully combined and no lumps of cocoa remain. Transfer the chocolate meringue to a piping bag, if you have one. Pipe out even circles of meringue on to a flat, lined baking tray with a little space in between. Using a spoon, gently flatten the middles to create a little well in the middle.
Bake the meringues for 30-40 minutes or until you can gently lift them off the baking paper without sticking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before decorating.
Raspberry Compote
To make the raspberry compote add the raspberries and sugar to a saucepan. Cook on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until it starts to thicken just slightly. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool completely.
Whipped Cream
In a mixing bowl, add the cream and icing sugar. Whisk together until the cream just barely makes stiff peaks. This means the cream will hold it’s own shape when mixed. When we have cooked and completely cooled everything, we add generous dollops of cream onto the chocolate meringue. Spoon over some raspberry compote and finish with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.
Tips for a perfect Pavlova
Although this recipe is pretty straight forward there are a few tips I can bestow upon you to make sure you get a perfect pavlova.
-Ensure the mixing bowl and all equipment is totally free of grease. The presence of any fat will stop the meringue from whipping to full peak. Make sure to wash all utensils and the bowl in hot soapy water and give it a good rinse before using.
-Make sure to add the sugar to the egg white in small additions. This is to ensure the sugar dissolves fully into the meringue and helps form a stable and glossy meringue.
-The meringue must be whipped to full peaks. This means that when you lift the whisk out of the meringues it will create a strong peak that doesn’t fall back down into the meringue. The meringue must be thick enough to pipe and hold it’s shape.
-Don’t overcrowd the baking tray. Pipe the meringues with plenty of space in between. They will rise and expand a little bit while baking and spacing them out correctly allows proper air flow while baking. This helps the meringues bake evenly.
-The meringues need to be cooked “low and slow”. This means baking at a low temperature (100-110°c) for 40-60 minutes. We know the meringues are cooked when they are dry to the touch and you can gently peel them off the trays without the base sticking or breaking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Meringues that haven’t been decorated can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for 3-4 days and will stay soft in the inside. The meringues may keep up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature but they will start to dry out after 3-4 days. You could use dried out meringues for Eton Mess pots or swirl through a homemade ice cream recipe for extra crunch.
Meringues that have been decorated with cream and fruit can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
The only part of this recipe that freezes well is the raspberry compote. This can be made in a big batch up to 3 months in advance. Store in an airtight container for best results.
Is your meringue a little slack and watery? Is it not holding the shape when you try to spread it? Firstly, double check your recipe and ensure you added the right amounts of egg white and sugar. If this is definitely correct, it’s likely you haven’t whipped the meringue enough. Make sure to whisk it on high speed for at least 5 minutes until the meringue is very thick and glossy.
Older eggs tend to whip up better. They have more volume and are a little bit more stable.
Room temperature egg whites give the best results. They produce the best volume and stability for meringues.
As the chocolate pavlovas are a darker colour I’ve found in testing that it is very easy to underbake them compared to white pavlovas. To ensure your meringues are fully cooked, check to see if they peel off the baking tray in one piece. For good measure, cook them for a further 10-15 minutes after this. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool inside, allowing them to cook a little further as they cool from the residual heat.
This chocolate meringue is crispy on the outside, and chewy in the middle. Some people prefer a softer, more marshmallow type meringue. To soften the meringues, simply decorate a few hours in advance. The cream and raspberry compote will soften the meringue, making it less chewy.
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Individual Chocolate Raspberry Pavlovas
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Electric whisk or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Small sieve
- 1 Flat baking tray
- 1 soup or dessert spoon
Ingredients
Chocolate Meringue
- 100 grams egg whites
- 100 grams caster sugar
- 150 grams icing sugar
- 10 grams cornflour
- 35 grams cocoa powder
Raspberry Compote
- 250 grams raspberries fresh or frozen
- 50 grams caster sugar
Whipped Cream
- 250 grams cream
- 20 grams icing sugar
- 200 grams raspberries, fresh or frozen optional, for decoration
- 20 grams melted dark chocolate optional, for decoration
Instructions
Chocolate Meringue
- Preheat oven to 130°c (260°c) or 120°c (340°c) if fan assisted.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the egg white and caster sugar. Whisk on high speed for 4-5 minutes until the eggs have doubled in size and started to become thick.
- In another bowl, mix together the icing sugar and cornflour.
- Using a dessert spoon, add a large spoonful at a time to the egg whites, whisking well in between additions.
- Once all the icing sugar mix has been added, return the speed to high and whisk for another 4-5 minutes until the meringue has become stiff and glossy.
- Sieve the cocoa powder into the meringue and mix for 30-60 seconds until fully combined and no lumps of cocoa remain.
- Transfer the chocolate meringue to a piping bag, if you have one.
- Pipe out even circles of meringue on to a flat, lined baking tray with a little space in between.
- Using a spoon, gently flatten the middles to create a little well in the middle.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the meringues can be gently lifted off the tray without sticking.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before decorating.
Raspberry Compote
- In a small saucepan, add the raspberries and sugar.
- Cook on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until it starts to thicken just slightly. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool completely.
Whipped Cream
- In a mixing bowl, add the cream and icing sugar. Whisk together until the cream just barely makes stiff peaks. This means the cream will hold it's own shape when mixed.
- When everything is cooked and completely cooled, add generous dollops of cream onto the chocolate meringue. Spoon over some raspberry compote and finish with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.
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