Pavlova Nests with Berries and Cream

As much as I hate to admit it my mom and I are still Kitchen Aid virgins...sort of. Although we have been steadily using the Kitchen Aid stand mixer for several of our baked goods, we still get a little nervous every time we use it and are not sure if we are doing everything correctly. Yesterday was a big day because it was my dad's birthday and we had all of my parents friends come to our house to celebrate. The party was a great success, filled with lots of yummy food and entertaining jokes, and was worth the week we spent preparing.

Part of our preparations included making these little nests out of meringue ahead of time and then filling them with whipped cream and topping with berries during the actual party. My mom makes these pavlova nests every year for the occasion and this year I asked her if I could help. She readily agreed and so we proceeded to whip up some eggs and pipe out the nests. We were so excited at the prospect of using our Kitchen Aid because we had seen how well it whipped eggs in the past to a very light and fluffy consistency.

However as soon as we started piping out the nests we knew there was a problem. The meringue was indeed very fluffy, but a little too much so, and it had air bubbles in it when we piped it out. We continued to pipe out the rest but were doubtful of the result. Our fears were proven when we saw the pavlovas turn a golden color in the oven and deflate, instead of remaining white and sturdy.

No worries, I said, it happens. I assured my mom that the next batch would turn out better and we must have made some blunder along the way. So the next morning I once again whipped up some egg whites in the Kitchen Aid and piped out the nests onto the baking sheets. The meringue looked so good in the bowl before I started piping...it had the perfect white glossiness and stiff peaks. Unfortunately, the exact same problem occurred as soon as I started piping and the end result was the same.

Finally, my mom and I admitted to ourselves that perhaps the problem was our unfamiliarity with the Kitchen Aid and therefore decided to go with what we know. We made the next batch using our hand mixer, just like in the past, and this time it worked. Right as I started piping out the nests I knew that we had finally accomplished our task.

In two days we ended up making four batches, two failed and two successful. Although the failed pavlovas did not look right, they still tasted good and our family ate them throughout the week leading up to the party. But on the day of the party my mom and I proudly served the successful pavlova nests and everyone ate them up eagerly. We lapped up their compliments and agreed that, even though it took us longer than we anticipated, we enjoyed our time in the kitchen because we were with each other.

Pavlova Nests with Berries and Cream

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Berries for garnish

1. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Increase the speed to high and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating until the meringue becomes glossy and stiff peaks form.
3. Cut the tip off of a ziploc or plastic bag and proceed to pipe out little circles about 2-2 1/2" in diameter on baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Once the desired diameter is reached, pipe the meringue a couple of times over the edges to build up a wall. Alternatively, you can spoon out the meringue onto the trays and then use the back of the spoon to create a slight indent in the middle to hold the cream.
4. Bake the meringues for two hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn off the oven and leave them inside for at least another hour to dry out. They should look white and hard and feel crispy when taken out.
5. To make the whipped cream, whip the heavy cream on high speed and add the powdered sugar and vanilla once it starts to solidify. 
6. Spoon the whipped cream into the nests just prior to serving and top with some berries for garnish.