Chocolate Black Forest Pavlova with chocolate sauce
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Love the "retro" of a black forest cake, ditto these chocolate mini pavlovas with the hidden chocolate centre and morello cherry top. Hope you enjoy them too :)
Morello cherries make a lovely addition to the batter of dark chocolate cupcakes, studding a sweet focaccia or as in today's posting topping a chocolate pavlova. If you are in fresh cherry season, fresh pitted cherries poached in a little sugar syrup can substitute for the Morello cherries if desired.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 eggwhites
pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup caster sugar (superfine)
1 tablespoon dark dutch process cocoa powder (sifted)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce
125g (5.3oz) chopped good quality dark chocolate
125 ml (half cup) of thickened cream
2 tsp Kirsch (optional)
Topping
1 jar *morello cherries in syrup
2 tsp kirsch (optional)
125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream
Dark chocolate grated or curls to decorate
Method
. Preheat oven to 120C. Draw four 7cm (2.75 inch) circles on non stick baking paper, reverse paper so ink lines will be facing downwards when you use it to line your baking tray.
. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until meringue is thick and glossy. Add cocoa & vanilla. Beat until just combined.
. Spoon meringue onto lined baking tray, using circles as a guide. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 120C. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until meringue is dry and crisp. Turn off oven and jar door open a little with the handle of a wooden spoon. Allow to cool completely in oven.
Place chocolate in a bowl. Place cream in a small pan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Pour over chocolate, then stir until smooth. Stir is kirsch if using. Let cool until it thickens slighty, break hole in the top center of each pavlova and put a spoonful of chocolate sauce.
Whip cream with an electric beater until medium stiff peaks.
In a separate small bowl, add the Kirsch to 2 tablespoons of syrup from the jarred Morello cherries. Swirl of little of syrup through the cream, spoon onto the tops of pavlovas (you may have some leftover), top with whole Morello cherries and decorate with chocolate curls and serve with any leftover cream, syrup and chocolate sauce.
Inside the pavlova, chocolate sauce with chocolatey marshmallow with crisp sugary shell.
Meringue base recipe adapted from SuperFood Ideas magazines Chocolate Pavlova Nests Nov 2005
Happy Baking :)
You might also be interested in POP POP yes bubble wrap chocolate!