Oh hey friends!  I'm still obsessed with everything citrus these days, and these mini pavlovas are no exception.  The citrus in them is so light and refreshing, and the chocolate swirls are divine.  Swirling chocolate into meringue is one of my favourite things to do, as it tastes amazing, and adds such a whimsical look to them.

I make mini pavlovas more often then I make full-sized ones these days.  I find them so much easier to serve (cutting neatly through meringue, whipped cream, and fruit can be a nightmare...haha), and it makes it simple to customize when serving to a crowd.   I'll sometimes bring both normal whipped cream as well as coconut whipped cream when serving these in case there's someone with a dairy allergy.  That's a win win for everyone.

chocolate swirled citrus mini pavlovas

yields: 8-10 mini pavlovas
 

ingredients:

4 large (120 g) egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate

Topping

1 cup (240 mL) whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

citrus slices 

chopped pistachios

directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Add in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well in between each addition.  Repeat until all sugar is incorporated, and meringue forms stiff and shiny peaks. *Don't rush this, as adding in too much sugar at once can cause the meringue to deflate.

Beat in vanilla extract, orange zest, and lemon juice.  Gently fold in cornstarch.

Spoon the meringue onto the lined baking sheet, the size depends on your preference. 

In a small bowl, carefully melt dark chocolate, and then spoon into a small piping bag.  Zig zag chocolate over each meringue, and then run a toothpick in small circles through the chocolate and meringue to create swirls in each meringue.

Place baking sheet in the oven and turn the temperature down to 250 degrees F. Bake for 1 hour, or until the meringue is a very light cream colour.  Turn off the oven, leave the door cracked open, and allow to cool completely inside the oven, at least 1 more hour.

Meringue can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for a couple days before serving.

While meringue is cooling, prepare the topping.  In a medium bowl, whip whipping cream on high until soft peaks form.  Add in powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix well.  

Prepare pavlovas directly before serving.   If you assemble them too much ahead of time, the whipping cream will make the meringues go soggy.  I like to serve everything separately so that everyone can assemble their as desired.

Top meringues with a generous scoop of whipped cream, citrus slices, and chopped pistachios.

Happy Pavlova baking!