Chocolate Chili Spice Berry Pavlova. A bit of a hot mess, bit of a show stopper and a bunch of light as air deliciousness! This elegant yet simple dessert will take your dinner party to the next level! The meringue shell is infused with chocolate and chili, which is the perfect bite of sweet and a hint of heat. With a crunchy exterior and light and chewy center that is piled high with dairy free coconut cream, mixed berries and balsamic glaze will take your senses to the next level. Impress your guests with this beautiful beast!
Well if January was all about lightening things up and healthy eating, then February is all about erasing all that with all chocolate all the time! Apparently, it has to do with Valentine’s Day or something like that. Well, I think it’s just an excuse to eat more chocolate! So, whether you celebrate V-day or not or Galantine’s Day or just celebrate chocolate, this dessert is for you!
It’s not complicated and you can make the meringue the day before to make things easier. I chose to double decker it, but you can have one circle of meringue if you prefer. I kept it dairy free by using a combo of coconut cream and So Delicious coconut whip. Perfect light and airy cream to top this light and airy dessert! I cooked down half the berries to soften and release some of their juices and kept the other half fresh and whole to give different textures and layers of flavor. Then to top it off, just drizzle some balsamic reduction glaze to give it that sweet zing, that pairs perfectly with berries and chocolate.
A beautiful delicious mess! A’ la Jackson Pollack style edible art! So channel your inner Pollack and go at it!
There you have it, an easy, elegant, enormous (yet deceivingly light) end to your fancy dinner party or just any excuse to have chocolate and wine for dinner (it’s good for you, the Google machine said so). No judgment!
Happy Weekending!
Diane
- For the Meringue:
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups super fine sugar
- 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp. of salt
- ¼ tsp. of cayenne
- 2 ounces grated dark chocolate (at least 70%)
- For the Cream:
- Two cans of full fat coconut milk (store in the fridge, use only the cream at the top, none of the water)
- 1 container of So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Whip Light
- For the Berry Topping:
- 2 8oz containers of blackberries
- 2 8oz containers of raspberries
- 1 lb. of fresh strawberries
- 1 lemon
- Balsamic reduction glaze (I buy at Whole Foods)
- For the Meringue:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw two 6-inch circles on the parchment paper or one 8-inch circle. Flip the parchment over so the pen side is down.
- Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When soft peaks begin to form, add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
- Add the chocolate, vinegar, cayenne and cocoa powder and gently fold in until the cocoa is mixed in thoroughly.
- Mound the meringue in the circles and smooth the center and sides. Leaving a bit of a ridge around the sides.
- Place meringue in the oven and drop temperature immediately to 300 degrees and cook for 50 to 75 minutes (if doing two meringues, will be closer to 50 minutes, will take a bit more time for one large meringue). The exterior should be crispy and slightly cracked and when pushed gently in the center should give a little.
- Let the meringues cool completely in the oven. Turn off the oven and prop the door open. Should take a couple of hours. Can be made the night before and wrap the meringues with plastic wrap and keep at room temp.
- Make the Berries:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add 8oz of raspberries, blackberries and strawberries along with the juice of half a lemon and 1 tbsp. of sugar. Stir and heat until juices begin to release and some of the berries burst. Don’t cook down all the way, leave some berries whole. Should be about 5 to 7 minutes. Place berries in bowl and set aside.
- For the Cream:
- Place the bowl and whisk of the stand mixer in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and place in the stand mixer.
- Grab the cans of coconut milk out of the fridge. Remove only solid part of the coconut milk and place in the bowl. Do not add any of the water.
- Whisk the cream until soft peaks form. About 5 to 7 minutes or so. Add the vanilla extract and mix in.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer and gently fold in the coconut whip.
- Assemble the Pavlova:
- Carefully place one meringue on your servicing dish or cake stand.
- Gently spoon half of the coconut cream over the top and smooth over with off-set spatula or knife. Doesn’t have to be completely smooth and level, leave some higher peaks.
- Place half of the cooked berry mixture over the cream.
- Place the second meringue over the top of the meringue and smooth out to the sides and but leave some mounds in the center.
- Spoon the rest of the cooked berry mixture over the top, letting the juices run down. Add some of the fresh berries over the top.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top of the berries.
- Slice and enjoy. Best served day off.
Leave a Reply