I’ve been making a lot of dishes lately that just called for egg yolks, and so I’ve ended up with quite the bounty of egg whites. I looked around for different things I could do with egg whites, and eventually decided to try out making Pavlova. I’ve never had it before, so I’m not sure if it came out exactly right – but regardless it’s delicious. The crusty outside is melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and the inside is like a fluffy marshmallow, only with a lot more flavor. The Balsamic Vinegar is a subtle boost of flavor in the finished product. I imagine this same recipe could just as easily be used to make meringues, if you just made the dropped egg whites a little bit smaller – in fact, next time I think I will do it that way. Although these came out lovely and delicious, they are also incredibly delicate – which makes them difficult to store. I recommend only making as many as you plan to use immediately.

Ingredients:

• 9 Egg Whites; room temperature
• 2 tbls + 3/4 tsp Cornstarch
• 2 and 1/4 cups Sugar
• 1 tbls Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Kosher Salt

Method:

• Preheat Oven to 275°
• In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and the cornstarch
• In a different small bowl, combine the vinegar and the vanilla
• Pour the egg whites in to stand mixer bowl
• Using the Whisk attachment, begin whipping the egg whites, starting on low and incrementally increasing to medium speed.
• Sprinkle egg whites with the salt, and continue whipping until soft peaks form
• Increase speed to medium high and gradually pour in the sugar mixture
• When the sugar has been completely incorporated, add the vinegar/vanilla
• Increase speed and whip until egg whites become glossy and stiff peaks form
• Drop by spoonful (or pipe, if desired) on to parchment lined baking sheet to form 3 (or so) inch forms
• Bake for 1 hour or until very lightly golden