Blondes do not have more fun.
Chocoholics do.
Which is why we are always on the lookout for delicious, satiating dessert recipes that don’t break the belt buckle. I found this recipe in a great book, Cook Yourself Thin by Candice Kumai, Harry Eastwood, and Allison Fishman. We had leftover whipped cream, which the recipe calls for, in the fridge (SCORE!) I decided that it was a good time to try my hand at meringues. Chocolate meringues, that is.
I am thoroughly convinced that the reason I enjoyed the end result was only partially due to the recipe itself. I used unsweetened cocoa, but I used Divine powdered cocoa, and shaved Callebaut dark chocolate over the whipped cream to top off the dish. The age-old lesson: a quality recipe is only as good as the ingredients you put into it. I left out the melted chocolate and raspberries because I didn’t have time to run to the store. They would have been amazing though. Be sure to check out all of the fabulous recipes from Cook Yourself Thin!
Chocolate Pavlova
Serves 6
Calories per serving: 337
Pavlova:
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup shaved dark chocolate
¼ cup melted chocolate for drizzling.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Whisk the egg whites and salt on high speed until they hold their shape. Add the sugar gradually until the mixture stands in firm peaks. Add the lemon juice and whisk just to incorporate. Sift the cocoa powder into a small corner of the bowl and lightly fold it into the meringue using a plastic spatula. Do not over mix of you will lose the rippled effect. Pour the meringue onto the parchment-lined sheet pan in an oval shape, roughly 3-inches by 5-inches and 2-inches high. Place into the bottom of the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Switch off the oven without opening the door and leave the Pavlova in the turned –off oven for one hour. Remove and set aside
- For the topping: whisk the whipping cream into semi-stiff peaks and spoon on top of the pavlova. Sprinkle with raspberries and shaved chocolate before serving. Finish with drizzled chocolate.
