I'm Back!.....with Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

For those of you that frequent my blog and have seen that damn picture of mac-n-cheese for about two months, I apologize. I had finals, graduated, and moved. So now that it is summer and I have more time, I am back in the kitchen with more time to share delicious recipes and suggestions. I didn’t quit! So on to the dessert……

I made this meringue dessert for my mother’s 50th birthday. It is the perfect chocolaty summer treat since it is light and simple. It also served as a good replacement of the traditional birthday cake; everyone loved it!


For the Meringue Base:
6 large egg whites
2 cups superfine sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the Toppings:
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups raspberries
1 to 2 ounces dark chocolate

Directions
Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Draw a 9-inch-diameter circle on the paper with a pencil, tracing a round cake tin that size.
Flip the paper over so your meringue doesn't touch the pencil marks - you'll still be able to see the circle.

Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites with a mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Do not start adding the sugar until the egg whites alone form satiny peaks or your meringue will turn out soupy. Timing is everything.

Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.

Shape the meringue: Secure the parchment to the baking sheet with a dab of meringue under each corner. Mound the meringue onto the parchment within the circle, smoothing the sides and the top with a spatula. I simply lined a 9-inch-diameter round pan with parchment paper and baked it in the pan instead of on the baking sheet.


Bake the meringue: Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F and cook for one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top. Let it cool: Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the chocolate meringue disk cool completely in the oven.

When you're ready to serve, invert onto a big flat bottomed plate and peel off the parchment.


Decorate the Pavlova: Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue. I whiked all two cups of heavy cream and ended up with extra, so use as much as you prefer. Then scatter the raspberries on top.


Grate the chocolate over the top. You want the Pavlova to look like a frosted cake.




The pavlova tastes best the day its made so eat up!