Chocolate Pavlova With Chocolate Mousse

By bjlazyl

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature (save the yolks for the mousse)
• 1 1/2 cups/300 grams granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup/28 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 3 cups/710 milliliters heavy cream
• 6 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons/70 grams granulated sugar
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 12 ounces/340 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 1 cup crème fraîche, lightly whipped
• Fresh berries or chocolate shavings (optional)

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the pavlova: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw an 8-inch circle in the middle, then flip the paper upside down. You should still be able to see the outline.

Mix egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and, using an electric mixer, beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Gently sift cocoa powder over the egg whites, then use a rubber spatula to fold the cocoa into the whites until just combined. A few cocoa streaks are O.K. and in fact better than overmixing, which can deflate the meringue.

Spoon half the meringue mixture onto the circle on the parchment paper to form a round, spreading it all the way to the edges. Dollop remaining meringue around the outer edges on top of the circle, creating a nest to hold the filling.

Bake for 2 hours, or until dry and firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven 1 hour. Remove from oven and, if necessary, continue to cool to room temperature.

Make the mousse: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 1/4 cups/295 milliliters cream, the yolks, 3 tablespoons/35 grams sugar and the salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in melted chocolate, vanilla and rum. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.

Using an electric mixer, whisk together the remaining 1 3/4 cups/415 milliliters cream with remaining 3 tablespoons/35 grams sugar until firm peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining cream. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

Just before serving, spoon mousse into the center of the cooled pavlova, then top with crème fraîche. Top with fresh berries or chocolate shavings if desired.