Need a fresh idea for a St. Patty’s Day Dessert?

Originally Published 03/18/2021

Lucky Charm Mini Pavlovas might be just what you’re looking for!

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert that is usually served with whipped cream and fresh fruits!

As to its origins, both New Zealand and Australia claim it as their own! “The dessert was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who was a megastar when she toured both countries in the 1920s.” – BBC Travel

In 1935 an Australian Chef named Herbert Sachse was working at Perth’s Esplanade Hotel and was tasked to create a different and unique type of dessert. When he served his creation to the hotel manager, the manager said it was “as light as Pavlova” the ballerina. 

Similarly, “New Zealanders often cite the story of an unnamed chef at a Wellington hotel, who is said to have invented the pavlova during the ballerina’s only tour of the country in 1926.” 

While the debate as to which country created this amazing dessert may never be solved, one thing is for certain, it is delicious!

These mini pavlovas is a bite-sized version of this dessert!

These Lucky Charm Mini Pavlovas are filled with a boozy Irish Cream center.

Topped with finely chopped pistachios, black cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup!

They are a great addition to any St. Patrick’s Day party!

So let’s get on to the recipe…🥳

The thought of making meringue makes a lot of people nervous!

But it shouldn’t! The recipe that I used for this meringue comes from The Art of French Pastry by Jacquy Pfeiffer and Martha Rose Shulman. They have broken it down into easy steps that make it almost foolproof! If you give this recipe a try, I think you’ll surprise yourself! Start out with three room-temperature egg whites and a pinch of salt. Mix this together at medium speed for 30 seconds. Next, you’re going to add in 3/4 cup of sugar but 1/4 cup at a time and whip it with the eggs for exactly two minutes each time.

It’s basically magic! At the end of this six-minute process, you’ll have a shiny, stiff meringue ready to be folded in with the powdered sugar and vanilla and piped!

Speaking of folding in the powdered sugar…

Sift the powdered sugar over the top of the meringue before mixing it. This will get rid of any chunks of sugar and make it lighter and easier to combine.  Try to use big, sweeping scoops around the bowl when mixing this part. The goal is to combine the powdered sugar and meringue thoroughly with the least amount of stirring. You don’t want to knock out all the lovely air that was just whipped into it! To make the mini pavlova shape, I used my silicone macaron mat as a guide. If you don’t have one of these mats, on the reverse side of the parchment paper, draw 1 3/4″ circles 1″ apart to follow. After the mini pavlova shells have all been piped, gently use the back of a spoon to open the center up a little more. Gotta make more room for the Irish Cream center!

Don’t overbake these mini pavlovas.

I’m pretty sure I left mine in the oven for a little longer than I needed to.

The meringue does need to bake low and slow so the outside dries out properly, but the inside should still be chewy.

Check them at around 45 minutes. The mini pavlova shells should be slightly off-white and look set when they are done.

Once they’re finished baking, turn the oven off and let them sit in there with the door closed for 30 minutes, then crack the door open and let them sit another 15. This will help prevent the meringue from cracking while it cools.

Side note…I have a gas oven that cooks unevenly and the heat radiates from the top. I placed one of the oven racks at the very top of the oven and put a large baking sheet on it. This serves as a shield and, I think, helps more evenly distribute the heat. So if you’re worried about the meringue tops browning, give this a try!

While the mini pavlovas shells are finishing cooling,

it’s time to whip up the Bailey’s Irish Cream filling. 

Add the Irish cream, heavy whipping cream, butter, and powdered sugar to your mixer with the whisk attachment. Start out mixing it on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated so it doesn’t go everywhere, and then whip it on high for 3-5 minutes. 

Personally, I wanted the filling to be more creamy than stiff, but if you’d like it to be more like frosting you can definitely add more powdered sugar.

After this, scoop the filling into a piping bag, or a Ziplock with a corner cut off and fill the center of each mini pavlova. Finish them up by adding some chopped pistachios, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup drizzle! I used black cocoa powder from King Arthur, but regular cocoa powder will work just fine too!

Pavlova are at their best when served the day of!

Not gonna lie though, I’ve left mine on the counter in a container and I’ve been eating one a day all week 😂. The meringue has softened but they’re still super good!  If you’d like them to last longer, the unfilled meringue shells can be kept in an airtight container for up to a month until you’re ready to fill them! Anyway, I hope you give meringue making a shot, and enjoy this Lucky Charm Pavlova recipe!

If you need some other Pavlova inspiration, check out my Blueberry and Peach Pavlova Smash, or my Almond Cream Pavlova!

Print Recipe

Lucky Charm Pavlovas

Simultaneously crisp and chewy, these Lucky Charm Pavlovas with their Irish Cream center are topped with pistachio crumble, cocoa powder, and chocolate syrup! They are just the thing to help you celebrate St. Patties Day right!

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time1 minute min

Cool in the Oven45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 26 mini pavlovas

Equipment

• Kitchenaid Mixer with Whisk Attachment
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Two Piping Bags + 1/2″ star tip +small round tip
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Chopper

Ingredients

French Meringue

• 3 Egg Whites room temperature
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 3/4 Cup Sugar separated into 1/4 cups
• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Irish Cream Filling

• 1/4 Cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 tbsp Salted Butter room temperature
• 1 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar

Toppings

• 2 tbsp Pistachios chopped
• 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Cup Chocolate Syrup

Instructions

French Meringue for the Pavlova Shells

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have a macaron patterned silicon mat place that below the parchment to serve as your piping guide. If you do not, you can draw 26 – 1 3/4″ circles on the reverse side of the parchment to use as a piping guide.

Also, prepare the piping bag with a 1/2″ star tip.
• Measure out separately 3 – 1/4 cups of granulated sugar.
• Put the three room-temperature egg whites and 1/8 tsp of salt in the mixer and begin whipping on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Turn the mixer down to low and add in the first 1/4 cup of sugar. Set a timer for two minutes and turn the mixer up to the highest speed. Let the eggs and sugar whip for the whole two minutes!
• Once the timer goes off, turn the mixer back down to low and sprinkle in the next 1/4 cup of sugar. Set the timer for two minutes again and whip on high-speed. After the timer goes off again, add in the last 1/4 cup of sugar and repeat the final two-minute high-speed whip! You should now have a beautifully shiny, stiff meringue!
• Remove from the mixer stand and scrape off the whisk into a large mixing bowl. Gently scoop all of the meringue into the bowl as well. Add in the tsp of vanilla and sift in a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar over the top of the meringue. Use a large rubber spatula to fold in the powdered sugar and vanilla. The trick is to make sure the powdered sugar is fully absorbed into the meringue without over mixing it, or mixing it too harshly.
• Gently scoop the meringue into the piping bag. Pipe a filled-in circle for the bottom of the pavlova and then pipe a ring around the edge of that circle to form the nest shape. Repeat until all the meringue has been used.
• Using a spoon, gently push back the edges of the meringue to open up and deepen the center of each pavlova creating a bigger hole for where the Irish cream will go after they’re baked! Repeat for the rest.
• Place in oven on middle rack and bake for 45-60 minutes. The meringue shells will be slightly off-white and completely dry when they are finished baking. Turn off the oven and allow them to sit with the door closed for 30 mins, then open the door a little and let them sit for another 15 minutes. This will prevent them from cooling too fast and cracking. After this, they can be removed from the oven and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Irish Cream Filling

• In your Kitchenaid using the whisk attachment again, add in Bailey’s Irish Cream, heavy whipping cream, room temperature butter, and powdered sugar. Start out on low to mix in the powdered sugar, then turn to high and whip for 3-5 minutes. The filling should not be runny, but also not too stiff. Feel free to add in more powdered sugar if needed to reach a good consistency. Scoop the filling into another piping bag with a round tip and fill the center of each cooled pavlova. If you don’t have a piping bag a Ziploc with the corner cut open will also work!
• To finish, sprinkle with cocoa powder, finely chopped pistachios, and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
• These are best if eaten right away! After they are filled they can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days, although the meringue will start to soften.

The meringue shells themselves, unfilled, if stored in an airtight container, will keep up to a month.

Notes

The meringue shells for this recipe come from The Art of French Pastry by Jacquy Pfeiffer and Martha Rose Shulman. This is an amazing Cookbook and I would highly recommend it!

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