These mini pavlovas are for a picnic lunch on Saturday as Australia commemorates the 100th anniversary of the WWI battle at Gallipoli. I will attend the dawn service which starts at 4:50am and then I’ll have breakfast at the Mooloolaba Surf Club. I’ve never been to a dawn service before and to do it on the 100th anniversary will be very special.
Services are held at dawn to remember the time of the original landing. Gallipoli was a massive defeat where 8,709 Australians and 2,701 New Zealanders died. When the last British troops left, more than 44,000 had died. I met a soldier a while back and we were talking about ANZAC Day and he said it wasn’t so much a defeat as a ‘failure to meet their objectives’. I wanted to put my Southern on and say, “Do what??” I chose to stay silent.
Later in the day if the weather is still good, I’m going to meet friends at the beach for a picnic. ANZAC Day honors the anniversary of the landing and first military action by Australians and New Zealanders at Gallipoli in Turkey on April 25th, 1915.
ANZAC Day is much more than remembrance of Gallipoli, it’s also the day that the country remembers every service person who served and died in all wars and conflicts. It’s a special day for all Australians and New Zealanders, much like Memorial Day in the US where I grew up.
These mini pavlovas are really cute and not too much for a lunch dessert. Pavlovas are soft creamy meringue that’s baked until there’s a shell-like crust protecting an inner soft meringue. There’s always room for pavlova. I chose the this dessert for Saturday because both Australia and New Zealand claim it as their dessert.
I’ll bring the pavs, the whipped cream and the fruit and decorate them on the beach. My friend Carla and I tested these out after the photos were shot and both gave them the thumbs up.
- 3 egg whites at room temperature
- 155 grams caster sugar (3/4 cup superfine sugar)
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup whipped cream (directions on how to make chantilly whipped cream)
- 2 passionfruit
- 2 kiwi fruit
- Preheat oven to 120C/250F
- Whisk the sugar and cream of tartar in a small bowl
- Add egg whites to bowl of a stand mixer with the balloon whisk attached (you can use a hand mixer as well) and whisk at medium speed until the eggs begin to look foamy.
- Add the sugar mixture slowly at medium speed until all is incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to high and whisk until you can put a little bit of the mixture between your fingers and you don't feel the sugar crystals.
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Place mixture in a piping bag or plastic bag with the corner cut and place the tip near the paper and squeeze until you have a small mound. This mixture will make four small mounds.
- Then take a knife (I used a palette knife) and flatten the top and make swirls around the sides. The swirls help to keep the meringue upright.
- Bake for 30 minutes and then turn the oven off until cool.
- When cool, remove from the paper and place on serving plates.
- Top with whipped cream, then kiwi fruit and then passion fruit.