Description
Delightfully festive Mini Pavlova Christmas Trees made from delicate meringue, whipped cream, and decorated with vibrant raspberries, pistachios, and silver cachous. These charming individual pavlovas are perfect for holiday celebrations, combining crisp edges with a soft, airy center and a decorative, snowy finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Meringue
- 6 free-range egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 3 tsp cornflour
Decoration & Cream
- 1/4 cup Sunbeam Australian Pistachios
- 300ml thickened cream
- 1 tsp pure icing sugar
- 1 tsp rosewater
- Silver cachous, for decorating
- Raspberries, for decorating
- Freeze-dried raspberry powder, for sprinkling
- Strawberries, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare oven and trays: Preheat your oven to 100°C fan-forced (120°C conventional). Grease two large oven trays. On two sheets of baking paper, draw four 4.5cm circles each with enough spacing. Place the baking paper, marked side down, on the prepared trays to use as guides for piping meringue.
- Make the meringue: Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time, ensuring sugar dissolves before adding more. Add in the white vinegar and cornflour, then beat the mixture until it is glossy and well combined.
- Pipe the pavlova bases and shape trees: Transfer one-quarter of the meringue mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle. Pipe small mounds onto the circles marked on the trays as bases. Place the remaining meringue into another piping bag fitted with a 0.5cm fluted nozzle. Starting at the base of each meringue mound, pipe three vertical rows of small layers upwards around the mound to create the shape of Christmas trees.
- Bake the meringues: Bake the piped meringue trees for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the edges are crisp but not coloured. Turn off the oven and let the meringues cool inside the oven with the door slightly ajar to prevent cracking.
- Prepare pistachio crumbs: Place the pistachios in a small food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs, perfect for garnish.
- Whip the cream: With an electric mixer, beat the thickened cream along with the icing sugar and rosewater until just-firm peaks form. Transfer a quarter of the cream to a small plain nozzle piping bag for decorating.
- Decorate the pavlova trees: Pipe little rounds of cream onto the meringue trees to help the silver cachous stick. Decorate with silver cachous, fresh raspberries, and sprinkle freeze-dried raspberry powder. Finish by sprinkling the pistachio crumbs and serve with fresh strawberries and the remaining whipped cream on the side.
Notes
- Make sure egg whites are at room temperature for better volume in meringue.
- Allow meringues to cool in the oven to avoid cracks and maintain their shape.
- Use fresh raspberries and strawberries for the best flavor and texture in decorations.
- The rosewater in the cream adds a subtle floral note that complements the sweetness of the meringue.
- Store leftover pavlovas in an airtight container away from humidity to keep them crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini pavlova
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
