Mini Hot Toddy Pavlovas (Printable)

Whisky-infused meringues with spiced pears and cream—a playful British dessert perfect for cozy gatherings.

# Ingredient List:

→ Meringues

01 - 4 large egg whites, room temperature
02 - 1 cup caster sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
04 - ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
06 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Poached Pears

08 - 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced
09 - ¼ cup whisky such as Scotch or bourbon
10 - ¼ cup water
11 - 3 tablespoons brown sugar
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 3 whole cloves
14 - 1 strip lemon zest

→ Whipped Cream

15 - ¾ cup heavy cream, chilled
16 - 1 tablespoon icing sugar
17 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Garnish

18 - Extra ground cinnamon, optional
19 - Lemon zest, optional

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a clean, dry mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and whisk to combine.
03 - Gradually add caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking until stiff, glossy peaks form.
04 - Gently fold in cornstarch, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly distributed.
05 - Spoon or pipe 8 small meringue nests onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
06 - Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes until crisp and dry. Turn off oven and cool meringues inside with door slightly ajar for 30 minutes.
07 - In a saucepan, combine whisky, water, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer.
08 - Add diced pears and cook gently for 10 to 12 minutes until tender but not mushy. Remove pears with a slotted spoon and cool completely. Discard spices and zest.
09 - Beat chilled heavy cream, icing sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until assembly.
10 - Top each cooled meringue nest with a dollop of whipped cream and spoonfuls of spiced pears. Drizzle lightly with poaching syrup if desired.
11 - Garnish each pavlova with a pinch of ground cinnamon or lemon zest. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It turns a cold-weather cocktail into something you can actually serve on a plate, and everyone will ask how you did it.
  • The meringues stay crisp for hours, so you can make them ahead and assemble right before guests arrive without any stress.
  • Whisky-poached pears taste like the holidays decided to get fancy, and the spiced syrup is absolutely worth sneaking spoonfuls of.
  • These little pavlovas look impressive but are shockingly forgiving, even if your piping skills are questionable.
02 -
  • Humidity is meringue's worst enemy, so avoid making these on a rainy day or they'll turn soft and sticky no matter how long you bake them.
  • If your meringues crack in the oven, don't panic, just pile the toppings on generously and no one will notice.
  • Don't skip the cooling step inside the oven, pulling them out into cold air too fast causes the centers to collapse.
03 -
  • Add the sugar slowly and don't rush the whisking, glossy peaks mean dissolved sugar and that's what keeps your meringue from weeping.
  • Taste the poaching liquid before adding the pears, if it's too strong, add a splash more water, if it's too sweet, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
  • Use a piping bag with a large round tip to make perfectly uniform nests, or just embrace the rustic look with a spoon.
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