Friday, September 18, 2009

What to do with leftover eggwhites - Mini Pavlovas

having fun with leftover


When I was home last week, friends asked if I still bake at home since I do that at work everyday."Of course! I can bake anytime for the people I love." I am sure a lot of people feel the same way too. It doesn't matter if it's an elaborate cake or some simple cookies. Freshly baked goodies make people feel loved and special.

Although I have just started work in the hotel for less than a week, I already noticed that colleagues from different departments like to stop by the bakeshop from time to time. Everybody is curious about the goodies we make for the day. If luck is on their sides, they may even get a taste of something fresh out of the oven. It still amazes me sometime to see people's contented smile, when given something as simple as a warm chocolate chips cookies.

Which is what I almost baked when I was home, but there's leftover eggwhites from other baking projects that OCT brought to my attention.
"Can you use up the eggwhites first before making other recipes?"
"Sure."

meringues


Almost immediately, some dessert ideas come to mind. The first one is pavlova. Minimum effort, improportional gratification. Instead of making one big pavlova, I piped the meringue into individual portions. Store in an airtight container, they can be kept for a week under room temperature or up to a month in the freezer. A perfect standby for the unexpected dinner party!

mini pavlova


I topped the meringue shells with some whipped cream + homemade lemon cream and fruits we have in the fridge. A few strips of candied citrus zests help to balance the sweetness of the meringue but it's completely optional.

005 copy


A simple and low fat dessert that both OCT and I enjoyed. Next, another simple recipe to use up MORE of the leftover eggwhites(much to OCT relief).

Mini Pavlovas

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
fruits of your choice

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on high speed until firm, about 1 minute. With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar and cornstarch, followed by the vanilla extract and beat until it makes firm, shiny peaks, about 2 minutes.

Fill the meringue into a piping bag with star tip. Pipe the meringue onto the parchment paper. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the outer side feel dry and hard when touched. Turn off the oven, keep the door ajar, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 hour. It will be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Remove the meringue disks from the parchment paper when they are completely cool. If not consumed immediately, keep them in airtight containers. They can be stored at room temperature for a week or freeze for a month.

When ready to serve, top meringue shells with sweetened whipped cream. Note that the recipe below is just a guide. I usually just whip some heavy cream in a bowl to soft peak, combined with vanilla extract and fold in some lemon cream. Taste to adjust.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:
2/3 cup cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup lemon cream

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). When it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't overbeat! Fold in the lemon cream.

Pile your choosen fruits onto the cream. Enjoy!

16 comments:

Kitchen Corner said...

The pavlovas looks very pretty! May I know how is the texture inside of the meringue? Is it gooey soft or crusty?
It looks so good served with some fresh fruits!

Alisa - Frugal Foodie said...

I love the smurfs! Too cute. Brings back memories :)

Those pavlovas look heavenly. Do you know if egg white powder will whip up properly to make these? I have quite a bit of it and have been wondering about meringues.

Snooky doodle said...

these are so nice, like clouds. i like the mini version :)

Anonymous said...

I always have the opposite problem - left over egg yolks. These meringues look yummy though!

Dolce said...

These are cute ! I also like to keep egg whites for French macarons (but that's a lenghty process), or marshmallows :)

Eliana said...

These look super delish with the addition of the fruit.

tracieMoo said...

Pavlovas are always a dessert to turn to for diets. They're low in fat. These mini pavlovas look so cute. Great job on the deco and photos!

Tina said...

Wow perfect photography ....Mini pavlovas looks great and so attractive....

Manggy said...

Ooh, I am loving the one with mango (I'm so predictable aren't I?)! I finished all my egg whites making macarons, whew!

Clumbsy Cookie said...

They came out so nice! I love the Smurfs "touch"!

Bunny said...

They're gorgeous, so lovely!

JennyMooMeow said...

I'm amazed that someone even has leftover egg whites. I'm the one that has leftover yolks because I used the whites for something like cocoa meringue cookies.

The Cookbook Apprentice said...

These sound just wonderful! I wish I had the ingredients in front of me to make them right now!

M.H. said...

i love those smurfs! definitely love the mini pavlovas!

Anonymous said...

use the left over egg yolks to make a big batch of hollandaise sauce and freeze it in small zip lock bags to use whenever you like!

Binky @ Cakeb0t- Cake Decorating Tutorials said...

great idea + smurfs?? irresistable!

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