Makes: 8 servings (4 inches by ⅞ inch high)
These little pavlovas serve as lovely crunchy containers for ice cream. They’re filled and frozen until shortly before serving, then adorned with the topping of your choice. I especially like strawberry ice cream and then a topping of macerated strawberries (see Fresh Fruit as an Adornment).
Oven Temperature: 200°F/93°C
Baking Time: 1 hour and 35 to 45 minutes
Special Equipment
Two 16 by 12 inch cookie sheets, lined with parchment
Meringue
| 4 large egg whites | 120 grams | ½ cup (118 ml) |
| cream of tartar | . | ½ teaspoon |
| superfine sugar | 240 grams | 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons |
Preheat the Oven
* Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Set the oven at 200°F/93°C.
Mise en Place
* Into the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh or measure the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar and whisk them together until blended. Cover and allow it to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
* Draw four 4 inch circles on each parchment sheet and invert them onto the cookie sheets. With masking tape, secure the edges of the parchment to the cookie sheets in two or three places.
Make the Meringue
1) Attach the whisk beater. Starting on low speed and gradually raising the speed to high, beat for 12 minutes. The meringue will be very thick and glossy and form curved peaks when the beater is raised.
2) With a large spoon, spread the meringue within the 4 inch circles. With the back of the spoon, form a 2 inch hollow in the middle of each to create a 1 inch border that is about ¾ inch high. Remove the tape.
Bake AND COOL the Meringues
3) Bake without opening the oven door for 1½ hours, at which point it’s fine to check the interior of one of the pavlovas. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, dig out a little of the meringue from the inside border. It should be a little soft and sticky. Set the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
FILL THE PAVLOVAS
4) Fill each pavlova with a large scoop of your favorite ice cream.
Store
Filled ice cream pavlovas: Airtight: frozen, 3 days (about 1 week if using commercial ice cream with stabilizer)
Unfilled pavlovas: Airtight: room temperature (at low humidity), 5 days; frozen, 3 months