Easter pavlovas mini nests with dark chocolate mousse

Easter time !!

Synonymous with chocolate, loads of chocolates, dark, milk, white, eggs, fishes, bunnies, chickens...A DREAM !!!!

This year I'm going to take you to the henhouse...
Nigella Dawson inspired me these mini pavlovas nests (I ajusted the quantities and the oven temperature).

The dark chocolate mousse comes from the chocolate french bible "encyclopédie du chocolat".
Those 2 were meant to be together !!

If I may give you an advice, pour the cream and honey caramel sauce on top of the mousse and you are in paradise !!


Yields : 14 small nest (more or less)

Here's what we need :


5 hours
1 culinary thermometer




for the pavlovas mini nests :

4 egg whites at room temperature, 1 pinch of salt, 250g sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

for the dark chocolate mousse :

180g high quality dark chocolate, 3g gelatin, 17cl whole milk, 35cl cold whole whipping cream.

Here's what we do :

First the dark chocolate mousse :

chop your chocolate coarsely and melt in a "bain marie" on medium heat.

In a saucepan on medium heat boil the milk. Put aside and add the gelatin.

Slowly pour 1/3 of hot milk into the melted chocolate and stir well until shiny.

Add second 1/3, stir well then add the remaining milk and stir again.

In a large bowl whisk the whipping cream until you've got a foamy texture.

Check that your chocolate is around 95°F/113°F and stir in the cream carefully.

Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Ready for the pavlovas mini nests :

Preheat your oven at 230°F.

Whisk egg whites with salt until firm and stiff.

Gently add sugar spoonful after spoonful still beating. Your eggs must be gleamy and satiny meringue.

Sprinkle the cornstarch, the vanilla extract and the vinegar on top and fold in to combine.

Draw circles of 3,14 inches on a baking parchment.

Spoon the meringue onto the baking parchment and use the back of the spoon to make an indentation in the center.

Bake for 40/45 minutes (your meringue musn't turn brown) then turn the oven off and allow to cool down and dry.

Make small balls of chocolate mousse with 2 spoons and carefully put them in the center of each mini pavlova nest.

                                                                                                                                   relax, savour & share!