Valentine’s day is almost here. Whether you’ll be by yourself or with a lover, there is nothing better to celebrate than with a special dessert.
And this Valentine’s pavlova is special in every way – crunchy pink meringue, soft white chocolate mousse, raspberries, and pomegranate (an aphrodisiac fruit!) syrup.
The core of the recipe is almost identical to the classic pavlova I shared about a month ago. In that post, I wrote some tips for how to bake the perfect pavlova, so it is worth reviewing it if you’re feeling uncertain before trying this one.
Meanwhile, you can count on more suggestions for Valentine’s day to come next week. For now, I leave you with this romantic pavlova.
Valentine’s Pavlova
with white chocolate mousse and pomegranate syrup
Ingredients
Pink Pavlova
- 4 egg whites (at room temperature)
- a pinch of salt
- 140 g white sugar
- 140 g powdered sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp pink food coloring gel
White Chocolate Mousse
- 200 g white chocolate
- 400 ml heavy cream
Pomegranate Syrup (optional)
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- seeds of half a pomegranate
Decoration
- 125 g raspberries
- a few white chocolate bonbons
Instructions
Pink Pavlova
- Grease a tray and line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 200 º C.
- In the mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they reach stiff peaks.
- One spoonful at a time, add the sugar to the egg whites. Keep beating until it is fully incorporated, creating a meringue.
- Mix the powdered sugar with the cornstarch. Slowly add this mixture to the meringue, the same way you did in the previous step.
- Lastly, pour in the vinegar and the pink food coloring. Beat a little longer. The meringue should be completely smooth, without any bits of undissolved sugar.
- With a pencil, draw a circle of about 20 cm in diameter on the parchment paper.
- Using a spatula, transfer the meringue to the tray, using the circle as a guide. Smoothen the top of the pavlova.
- Place the tray in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 100 º C. Bake for about 2 hours. Then, turn off the oven and let the pavlova cool down inside it for at least another 2 hours.
White Chocolate Mousse
- In a bowl, mix the white chocolate and 100 ml of the heavy cream. Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, mixing with a spatula in between, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside to cool down.
- In the meantime, beat the remaining heavy cream in the mixer, reaching soft peaks.
- Once the white chocolate has cooled down, slowly add it to the whipped cream with the mixer on low speed.
- Transfer the cream to a bowl and cover it with cling wrap. Place in the fridge for, at least, 2 hours.
Pomegranate Syrup (optional)
- Mix all the ingredients in a pot and bring over medium heat, mixing until the syrup boils for a while and thickens a bit. Set aside to cool down completely.
Decoration
- Spread the white chocolate mousse on top of the pavlova, smoothening it over with a spatula.
- Decorate to your liking with a piping bag, raspberries, and a few chocolate bonbons.
- Serve with pomegranate syrup.
Notes
To get a pavlova with nicely shaped “walls”, before you bake it, make sure to use the back of a spoon to mold them with an up and down motion.
