Valentine Pavlovas

This Valentine's Day we decided to try something new. The only hard part about making pavlovas is deciding on a style and flavor combination that you want. The possibilities are endless, but after a couple of hours of Pinterest searching and recipe reading, I decided on a simple whipped-cream filled raspberry-topped pavlova. I mean, how can you go wrong with that? 

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, or 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
• 1 cup (220 g/7.7 oz) caster sugar*
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200F/90C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Before you start, make sure that your mixer bowl is extra clean and not greasy, as that would prevent the egg whites from reaching their full volume. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking until soft peaks start to form.
3. Then, while mixer is running, add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and increase mixing speed to medium-high. Go slowly. Adding the sugar and continuing to beat may take 5-10 minutes. The meringue is ready once stiff peaks form, it’s glossy and completely smooth but not dry, and the sugar is fully dissolved. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that no sugar is sticking. Beat in vanilla extract.
4. To prevent the parchment paper from sliding, dot a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the paper and ‘stick’ it to the pan. Drop small mounds of meringue onto the baking sheet and, using a spoon, create a border so that the edges are slightly higher than the center. 
5. The amount of pavlovas really depends on how wide or tall you make them. This recipe can make anywhere from 10 large to 30 minis. I usually make mine quite tall with a 5 cm base, and it yields me around 16-20.
6. Place in the lower part of the oven and bake for 2-3 hours, or until the meringues are dry, their centers aren’t sticky, and they are easily lifted from the parchment paper with their bases intact. Turn off the oven and, without removing, let meringues cool completely for at least one hour, or overnight.
7. Meringues will keep for several days in an airtight container at room temperature.
8. When ready to serve, fill them with a filling of your choice, such as whipped cream or lemon curd, and top with fresh fruit if desired.
9. *Caster sugar, or superfine sugar, is finer than granulated sugar and dissolves better in the egg whites without leaving a gritty texture. You can make your own by processing granulated sugar in the food processor (I used a small blender) for about a minute until finely ground.

Recipe adapted from:http://prettysimplesweet.com/meringue-nests/