We as families get so busy with our lives, our children, dropping and picking them up from one place to another, working, paying bills, cooking, cleaning that we forget to treat ourselves and pat ourselves on the back for all the things that we do. Mothers Day is a special day when we as mothers can take some time to treat ourselves and get pamperedĀ and showered with love by our loved ones; a day when we can take the opportunity to put our feet up and relax – mostly! š
I remember the times when as a teenager, my brother and I would make meals for our parents, and not let mom enter the kitchen! The times when we would start baking a cake after midnight, for our dear mom’s birthday, and she would be so ecstatic to see a cake in the fridge in the morning! Little gestures like these are what make the best memories, and are etched in forever!Ā
I have a delicious dessert that is very simple for even dads and kids to make – and a bar setupĀ to make it extra special for thatĀ special person in your lives — your MOM. I made these pavlovas which are super easy to make, I flavored them with freeze dried raspberries for that extra punch in the flavor. The meringue is super easy to make with just egg whites, granulated sugar, corn starch, cream of tartar, vanilla extract! Once you make the meringue, you simply spread them on a parchment paper, in one big 9 inch circle, or make little pavlova circles, transfer to a baking sheet and bake in an oven for 60 minutes at 275 degrees. That’s it!
The list of toppings that I have here are:
- Jams – I used Jam Lab’s Raspberry and Chocolate Jam and Nectarine and Star Anise Jam
- Fruits – raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cara cara orangeĀ slices, apricot slices, Kiwi roses
- Freeze dried fruit: Raspberries, Blueberries, Mangoes (I get these packets from Trader Joes)
- Coconut chips
- Nuts: Pistachios and Sliced Almonds
- Chocolate Ganache (made with dark chocolate chips and heavy cream)
- Homemade Lemon Curd ( I used Traci’s(www.vanillaandbean.com)Ā recipe Ā )
The pavlovas I have created are:
- Lemon Curd, with raspberries, blackberries, and a sprinkle of freeze dried raspberries and blueberries, garnished with a mint leaf
- Cara Cara orange slices, pistachios, dried rose petals
- Nectarine and Star Anise Jam, with sliced Apricots and sliced almonds
- Raspberry and Chocolate Jam, raspberries, chocolate ganache
- Lemon Curd, with Kiwi Rose, freeze dried mangoes, coconut chips
Be creative! You could use whipped cream, honey, dried lavender, chocolate curls, sesame seeds, dried fruit, salted caramel sauce, scoop of sorbet anything and take this simple dessert to the next level!
Setting up bars are so much fun and they certainly will make your mom feel special too! Happy Ā Mothers Day to all the lovely moms out there! Much love.
XO
Amisha
Pavlova Bar for Motherās Day!
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs whites at room temperature(remember NO yolk, else your meringue will NOT form)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoon of corn starch
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons of freeze dried raspberries(ground in a coffee grinder and sieved for fineness)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, pour the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. On medium speed with a whisk attachment, start whisking the egg whites for 2 minutes until they start turning creamy white. While the mixer is still on, gently pour in the granulated sugar.
- Increase the speed to maximum and let it whisk for about 4-5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. The best way to find out is to stop the mixer, remove the whisk and hold it upright. There should be a beak formation at the tip of the whisk with the meringue. Put the whisk back. Add in the vanilla extract, raspberry powder(that has been sieved for fineness) and corn starch that has been sieved as well. Whisk for a quick 30 seconds and you are done.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- On a parchment paper, you can draw a circle with a pencil using a 9 inch cake pan, or make smaller 2 inch circles for mini pavlovas or 4-5 inch circles for medium sized pavlovas. Invert the paper and put it on a baking sheet.
- Spoon out the meringue onto the parchment paper and form a circle gently, raising the edge slightly and creating a very shallow well in the middle for the toppings. Once all the meringue has been scooped and shaped, place the baking tray in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 275 degrees and let the meringue dry out in the oven. Keep the baking tray in for 60 minutes.
- Setup your bar while the pavlovas are baking.
- After 60 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and let it cool. When removing the pavlovas, use a very thin spatula to gently remove the pavlovas since they are very delicate.
- Enjoy topping the pavlovas and a delicious little dessert!:)
Reader Interactions