Mini Pavlovas

INGREDIENTS

6 egg whites, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 1/3 cups baker's sugar

3 pints strawberries

1 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a half sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Combine egg whites, vanilla, vinegar, and cornstarch in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.
Whip, using either a standing mixer or a handheld mixer, until soft peaks form. 

Slowly incorporate the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, whipping all the time. 
Continue beating the mixture until stiff peaks form.

Spoon the mixture into six evenly-sized mounds on the prepared pan. Smooth the tops decoratively.

Put the pan in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 250 degrees. 

Bake until the pavlovas are crisp on the outside but still tender on the inside, about 45 minutes. Check on them periodically (through the glass, if possible), to be sure that they are not browning or cracking. If they are doing either, lower the heat by 25 degrees. You may have to add some cooking time if you lower the temperature. 
Now, when the pavlovas seem crisp but still tender on the outside, turn off the oven, leaving the pan in the oven with the door closed. Leave the pavlovas to cool in the cooling oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Then open the oven door partially and leave for 10 additional minutes. Now remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the pavlovas to a rack to cool completely. If you allow them to cool completely on the pan, they are liable to stick. The cooking spray is a bit of insurance against this.

TOPPINGS

Trim the stems and leaves from the strawberries and cut the berries in halves or quarters, depending on their size. Put the cut strawberries in a bowl. Stir to coat and leave to macerate at room temperature for at least one and up to six hours, stopping by to stir them every once in a while.

Just before you're ready to serve the pavlovas, whip the cream. Place each pavlova on a plate and top each with a sixth of the whipped cream and then a sixth of the berries. 
Serve immediately.

Chocolate Raspberry Whipped Cream Truffle Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Whipped Cream Truffle Cake

this rec

yield: Serves 12

In this show-stopping dessert, moist chocolate cake is layered with a luxurious combination of rich chocolate glaze and raspberry whipped cream.

ingredients

Glaze

            1 cup whipping cream

            1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

            2 tablespoons sugar

            12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

            1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake

            2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

            2 cups cake flour

            2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

            1 teaspoon baking soda

            1/2 teaspoon salt

            2 cups sugar

            1/2 cup (1 stick) unslated butter, room temperature

            3 large eggs

            1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

            1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Filling

            1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons chilled whipping cream

            3 tablespoons powdered sugar

            3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

            2 cups fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened, thawed, drained

            Additional raspberries (optional)

preparation

For Glaze:
Combine cream, butter and sugar in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla. Stir until chocolate melts and glaze is smooth. Let stand until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, whisk over low heat just until spreadable.)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper; butter paper. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted. Remove from over water.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Transfer batter to prepared pans, dividing equally.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool cakes completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.)

For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until very firm peaks form. Transfer 1 1/2 cups whipped cream mixture to small bowl and chill. Fold 2 cups raspberries into remaining whipped cream mixture.

Cut each cake layer horizontally in half. Using large tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 layer to platter. Slide waxed paper strips under edges of cake. Spread 2/3 cup chocolate glaze over cake. Spread half of raspberry whipped cream over. Place second cake layer on work surface. Spread 2/3 cup glaze, then remaining raspberry cream over. Place atop first layer, using tart pan as aid. Top with third cake layer, pressing lightly to adhere (reserve fourth layer for another use). Smooth filling at edges of cake. Spread thin layer of glaze over sides of cake. Chill until glaze sets, about 10 minutes.

Spread remaining glaze over sides of cake. Spread or pipe reserved 1 1/2 cups whipped cream mixture over top of cake. Garnish with additional berries, if desired. Gently remove waxed paper from under cake. Cover cake with cake dome; chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Forgotten Cookies Recipe

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite cookies. It so hard to wait for the cookies to cook overnight, but it was so worth it the next morning when we’d have cookies for breakfast =)

Forgotten Cookies

Yield: 1 dozen

2 egg whites
2/3 c. sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 to 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. With a mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until the egg whites become foamy.

3. Gradually add the sugar while you continue to beat the egg whites. Continue beating until the egg whites hold soft to stiff peaks.

4. Gently fold in the vanilla, chocolate chips

5. Cover a cookie sheet with greased aluminum foil. Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.

6. Place the cookie sheet in the oven, and then turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight without opening the door.

Note: The cookies were too sweet for me with 1 c. of chocolate chips. I’ll probably back it down to 1/2 c. next time.

Pavlova

 Ingredients:

Pavlova Recipe:

4 large (120 grams) egg whites

1 cup (200 grams) superfine (castor) sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

Topping:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice

Instructions:

Pavlova: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper. Turn the parchment paper over so the circle is on the reverse side.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat, on high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff and shiny peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Beat in the vanilla extract. Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold in. Spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges, making sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center. (You want a slight well in the center of the meringue to place the whipped cream and fruit.)
Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the outside is dry and is a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.)
The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.
Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours.
Serves 6 to 8.