11.29.18
Can it really be days away from December!? In the past two weeks I’ve made tons of dessert, watched a lot of Netflix and burritoed myself in a blanket on the couch whenever possible. The weather has been cold and Phil was out of town for work, so these were my top choices to keep busy. But now that he’s back, I’m excited to get the holiday season kicked off! We decorated our tree last night and I’m already starting to brainstorm seasonal recipes for the upcoming month. We’re gearing up for our annual holiday party that has somehow become a tradition?? Don’t know how that happened but I can’t wait! For the second time this year, I’ll be using Paperless Post to invite my friends over for the festivities. I can’t stop loving how it makes the invite process so easy and actually fun! If you have any festive gatherings planned soon I highly suggest heading over to their site for all your e-vite needs!
One of the recipes I’m considering for our party are these peppermint pavlovas. I love that they’re simultaneously crispy and chewy. Pavlovas are an underrated dessert that can work year round with almost any flavors. I added some peppermint extract and topped them with homemade chocolate whipped cream and crushed candy canes. Make sure not top add more extract than listed, the flavor can tip into mouthwash flavor territory pretty fast. And make sure to give them plenty of space on your baking sheet, use two sheets if needed. As in, use my picture below as a great example on what not to do! I placed them too close together and had to carefully cut them apart. I should’ve known better, but I’m not perfect ok?! The chocolate whipped cream is so good I had to stop myself from eating it all with a spoon. These can be made any size, or into one large 9″ circle if you’d like. So why not kick off the beginning of December with peppermint pavlovas! They’ll be the dessert your friends didn’t know they were missing. Cheers to the beginning of the holiday season!!
Peppermint Pavlovas
Ingredients
For the Pavlovas
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- red gel food coloring
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- crushed candy canes for garnish
Instructions
For the Pavlovas
- Preheat oven to 300
- On parchment paper, trace circles for the desired sizes of pavlovas, as a guide. Flip parchment paper over so circles are underneath (but still visible)
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites
- Once eggs start to foam, slowly add in sugar, about a tablespoon at a time
- When egg whites form stiff peaks fold in cornstarch (sifted so it folds in easier), vinegar and extract
- Place or pipe egg whites into traced circles and spread as needed with offset spatula, create a small indent in the center of each
- Dip a toothpick into red food coloring and swirl in the tops of the pavlovas
- Bake for 70-80 minutes, the pavlova should easily peel away from parchment paper
- Turn off the oven and crack the door to allow pavlovas to dry out, 30 min-1 hour
- Once out of the oven, top with whipped cream and candy canes
For the Whipped Cream
- Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk attachment for 15 minutes in the freezer
- Add heavy cream and sifted confectioners sugar and cocoa powder into bowl
- Beat on medium speed until stiff and able to easily be scooped
**This post was partnered with Paperless Post, but any and all opinions are my own. I legit love them**
