Make Your Summer Extrasweet With S'mores Pavlova

Make your Summer a little sweeter with this s'mores pavlova recipe from blogger Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen.

You know that part in Clueless when Cher turns to Ty and says, "Elton said you gave him a toothache." And Ty was like, "What's dat?!" And Cher was like, "It means he thinks you're sweet, stupid."

This S'mores Pavlova will give you a toothache, in a good way. It oozes Summer fun. It shines bright just like a diamond. And it's screaming to be made and taken and bragged about at a BBQ.

I feel like this recipe is a lil' ratchet. It's definitely not the most classy recipe I've posted in my life, but it sure is fun.

The pavlova is chocolate-y by way of sifted cocoa powder and folded in bits of dark chocolate. The 7-minute frosting acts like a marshmallow and gets all toasty when a flame kisses it. (You can also do this in the broiler.)

The crushed graham cracker is sprinkled on every. single. layer. My favorite part about this recipe is the chocolate-y pavlova. It's not crisp and dry throughout, which sometimes I want; this one is gooey and fudge-y in the center.

The idea is that it's supposed to mimic how a piece of Hershey's chocolate gets when a warm, toasty, burnt marshmallow is placed on top. It's like that!

The best news about this whole dang thing is that it can be made ahead.

I left it on the kitchen counter overnight to test it out and it looked and tasted amazing the next day. I advise to put it in the fridge just to, you know, keep it as fresh as possible, but I swear, it almost tastes better after it's had time to sit with itself for a bit.

Another bit of good news: this is really simple. The pavlova maybe takes 10 minutes to throw together. The frosting isn't too much of a pain either.

S’mores Pavlova

From A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients

1. Pavlova:
   3 large egg whites
   1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
   3/4 cup granulated sugar
   1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
   2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
   1 ounce dark chocolate, finely chopped

1. 7-Minute Frosting:
   2 tablespoons water
   2/3 cup sugar
   2 large egg whites
   Pinch of cream of tartar
   Pinch of salt
   1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Graham Cracker Topping:
   3 graham crackers, pulsed in a food processor

Directions

1. To make the pavlova: preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites and vinegar; beat until frothy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly incorporate the sugar; beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 additional minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Next, sift the cocoa powder atop the meringue; fold in the powder using a spatula. When the cocoa powder is thoroughly incorporated, fold in the dark chocolate.
4. Take a 5- or 6-inch plate, flip it over onto the parchment, and use it trace 3 circles. Divide the meringue evenly amongst circles, smoothing them out until they're about 1 inch thick. Transfer to the oven to bake for 1 hour until hard and crisp on the outside. Turn the oven off, prop open the oven door, and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
5. To make the 7-minute frosting: in a large metal bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and mix with a handheld electric mixer at low speed. Gradually increase speed to high, beating until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the bowl from the pan to a folded kitchen towel on the counter and continue beating until the mixture is cool and billowy, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. (Frosting can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.)
7. To assemble: place 1 chocolate meringue on a plate. Top with 1/3 of the 7-minute frosting and smooth it out. Using a torch, toast the frosting until golden brown. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs. Repeat with the remaining meringue, frosting, and graham crackers. Pavlova stays good in the fridge for up to 1 day. If you like, you can make the meringue up to 3 days ahead and assemble the day of.

Information

Category

Desserts, Cake

Cuisine

North American

Yield

Serves 6-8