Congratulations to Micky Schembri, the winner of our 35th Anniversary-inspired Swirl Bake-off. Micky’s Raspberry Pavlova recipe is filled with more than just cream and sugar; it also comes stuffed with a little bit of history and plenty of love.

The Senoia, Georgia grandmother developed her love for baking as a child. “My mom was a fantastic cook and baker, she made everything from scratch,” said Micky. “She used to throw these wonderful theme dinner parties, and I helped out with many of them.”

All that time in the kitchen expanded Micky’s palette, and for her 9th birthday, she requested a homemade apple pie instead of a traditional cake. Here’s a picture of Micky’s mother making that birthday pie. It’s a moment she’ll always cherish.

So when Micky heard about the Pirouline Swirl Bake-Off, she thought it would be a great way to create new memories with her daughter. The pair spent the Thanksgiving holiday brainstorming their entry. They considered size, debated piping tips, chocolate drizzle and how to incorporate crushed Piroulines into their dessert. “We had a wonderful day together,” said Micky. “That’s the beauty of baking, creating memories, and something wonderful to eat.”

 

Here’s Micky’s Winning Pavlova/Meringue Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites (room temperature works best)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon raspberry extract
• 5-8 drops pink food coloring
• Tin of Dark Chocolate Piroulines
• Melting Chocolate(used for drizzle)

Pavlova/Meringue Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
• Draw desired shapes on parchment paper, then turn over and place writing side down. 
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed for 1 minute. Slowly add sugar (while whipping on high speed), allowing it to dissolve and whip into the egg whites.  You don’t want it to be grainy, so slow is best. You need to beat the mixture until you have stiff peaks. This takes about 5 minutes. 
• Fold in extract and food coloring gently with a spatula so as not to deflate the peaks. 

For Pavlova:

• Spoon egg white mixture onto the parchment shape and mound it up on the edges.  You can smooth with the spatula or keep it elevated (it will fall when you add the whipped topping).  

For Meringue Cups:

• Put the mixture into a piping bag.  
• Place a spoonful of egg white mixture into the small diameter outline and using tip #22. 
• Pipe an upward swirl to create a cup — making sure to keep an opening in the center to fill with the whipped topping mixture. About three circles will give you a tall enough cup, but feel free to experiment.
• Bake for an hour or until meringue is no longer shiny and begins to turn a little golden.  
• Remove from oven and cool. 

Whipped Topping Filling Instructions:

• Cut 4-7 Pirouline cookies into large chunks and fold them (along with all the crumbs) into 2 cups of whipped topping.  

For the Pavlova:

• Gently spoon the whipped topping over the center of the dessert.  
• Add a couple of Pirouline rolled wafers and a few fresh raspberries. 
• Melt chocolates and drizzle over the entire dessert.

For the Meringue Cups:

• Put whipped topping with crushed Piroulines into a piping bag without a tip and fill the cups.  
• Top with additional crushed Piroulines.
• Add 1/2 a Pirouline rolled wafer along with a fresh raspberry.
• Melt chocolates and drizzle over the entire dessert.