Signature S’mores Pavlova by Sylvain Marrari

(This recipe appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

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Here’s a dessert that’s ideal for summer. The base is a crunchy chocolate meringue, which sits atop a pool of chocolate sauce, and is filled with two ice creams: chocolate and dulce de leche, both of which are enrobed in dark chocolate. The ice cream is covered with a tall, beehive-shaped spiral of marshmallow, and the dessert is garnished with edible flower petals and an abstract pulled sugar decoration.

Yield: 15 servings

Meringue Chocolat 

• 200 g fresh egg whites
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 180 g confectioners’ sugar
• 20 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder
• 3 g egg white powder
• 2 g citric acid
• Brown food coloring
• Graham cracker crumbs, for sprinkling

1. Whip the egg whites with a bit of the sugar, egg white powder and citric acid. Beat egg whites until stiff, then gradually add remaining sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.

2. Sift the confectioners’ sugar with the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder, then fold into the meringue along with a little brown food coloring.

3. Pipe meringue in 2ʺ (5 cm) domes, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.

4. Use dehydrator or oven to dry the meringue at 180˚F (82˚C) for 2 hours.

5. Flip the meringues and, using a spoon, make a small hole in the bottom of each. Add some graham cracker crumbs to the hole and then continue to let the meringues dry for another 2 hours.

Chocolate Ice Cream 

• 1000 g whole milk
• 90 g trimoline
• 50 g milk powder
• 80 g granulated sugar
• 6 g ice cream stabilizer
• 40 g Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder
• 300 g Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips
• 2 g salt

1. In a saucepan or in the microwave, warm the milk and add the trimoline.

2. In a saucepan, mix together milk powder, sugar, ice cream stabilizer and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder, then gradually whisk in milk mixture. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 4 minutes. Add the Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips and the salt and emulsify with a handheld blender.

3. Cool in ice bath, then refrigerate for 48 hours.

4. Process in ice cream machine.

Dulce leches Ice Cream 

• 1125 g whole milk
• 400 g heavy cream
• 70 g milk powder
• 175 g granulated sugar
• 12 g ice cream stabilizer
• 50 g glucose powder
• 400 g dulce de leche

1. In a saucepan or in the microwave, warm the milk and cream.

2. In a saucepan, mix together the milk powder, sugar, ice cream stabilizer, and glucose powder, then gradually whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 3 minutes. Pour into a container, add the dulche de leche and blend with a handheld blender.

3. Cool in ice bath, then refrigerate for 48 hours.

4. Process in ice cream machine.

Chocolate Sauce 

• 300 g Ghirardelli Black Label Chocolate Sauce
• 100 g whole milk

1. Mix Ghirardelli Black Label Chocolate Sauce with whole milk until well blended.

Marshmallow 

• 55 g gelatin sheets (gold)
• 350 g granulated sugar
• 410 g trimoline, divided
• 190 g glucose
• 150 g water
• 5 g vanilla paste
• 2 g salt

1. Soak the gelatin in cold water.

2. Place the sugar, 230 g of the trimoline, the glucose and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes.

3. Add the drained gelatin, the remaining 180 g of trimoline, the vanilla paste and the salt. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip at medium speed until the mixture has a soft texture.

Plating 

• Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, as needed
• Ghirardelli Dark Coating Wafers, as needed
• Small edible flower petals
• Yellow pulled sugar decoration 

1. Put the Meringue Chocolat in the freezer for a few minutes.

2. In a pastry bag, put the Chocolate Ice Cream on one side and the Dulce de Leche Ice Cream on the other side of the bag.

3. Pipe the ice creams inside the meringue and add some Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips on the ice cream. Put in the freezer.

4. Melt the Ghirardelli Dark Coating Wafers, and dip the ice cream all the way in the chocolate.

5. Finish whipping the marshmallow, then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small, plain tip. Pipe marshmallow in a spiral all around the ice cream, to the top, and pour some Chocolate Sauce on the plate. Garnish with some edible flowers and a yellow sugar decoration.