Passover can get tricky when it comes to desserts; the absence of flour and other fundamental baking ingredients present a clear challenge to us, bakers and sweets lovers.
But every problem has more than one solution, and today it is named Caramel Pavlovas.
Light and airy individual meringue swirled with homemade caramel. They are sweet, crunchy, and crumbly and, thanks to the caramel, have a deeply rich and delicious flavor.
And if you are not into caramel, go ahead and replace it with lemon curd, chocolate spread, or a sprinkle of some chopped nuts instead.
You can find below the caramel recipe, and I recommend making it at least a few hours ahead. Using store-bought caramel is also a good option. And to make it Parve, you can use parve heavy cream or canned coconut milk (not skim). For the butter, use vegan butter or margarine.
The pavlovas are ready to be removed from the oven when you can pick one up easily without sticking to the parchment paper. But, the longer it bakes, the crunchier it will be, so you can bake the pavlova to fit your preference. If you like it crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, check it at the 90 minute mark. For crunchy pavlova from the inside out, bake it for up to 3 hours.
Store at room temperature, covered for up to 5 days. Avoid sealing it in an airtight container; it might get sticky and melt.
For the sweet and salty fans among us, sprinkle some salt flakes before baking, or add ½ teaspoon to the caramel along with the butter.
Ingredients
Caramel
- ¾ cup 180ml heavy cream or coconut milk
- ½ cup 100g granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar or ¼ teaspoon lemon juice on Passover
- 2 tablespoons 30ml water
- 4 tablespoons 55g unsalted butter or vegan butter
Pavlovas
- 5 large egg whites 150g / 5 oz
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300 g / 11 0z
- 1/2 cup caramel
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
Make the caramel
- Bring the cream to a boil, and set aside.
- Mix the sugar with the cream of tartar, and mount it at the center of a wide saucepan.
- Pour the water over the sugar, and cook over medium heat.
- The sugar will start to bubble from the sides of the pan towards the middle. Do not stir if needed; only swirl the pan to distribute the heat.
- Once the sugar changes its color to caramel brown, turn the heat off, then pour in the warm cream.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until there are no bubbles, then mix in the butter and stir until melted.
- Pour the caramel into a glass jar, and refrigerate for up to 14 days.
Make the Pavlovas
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Use a whisk to constantly mix the egg whites and sugar until the temperature has reached 150°F (65°C), or when you dip your finger in the mixture, you want to remove it immediately.
- Remove the bowl from the heat, and whip on high (using a stand or hand mixer).
- Continue whipping until you have a shiny, smooth, stiff meringue.
- Use a large or medium cookie scoop to scoop the meringue over the prepared baking sheet.
- Drop one tablespoon of caramel at the center of each meringue, and use a toothpick to swirl the caramel in the meringue.
- Bake for two hours, and allow the meringue to cool completely before serving.
