Throw a tea party for your kids with these better-for-you Pavlovas. They’re topped with Greek yogurt (not whipped cream!) and a nutritious mix of berries, grapes, and fresh mango.
For this month’s Recipe Redux cooking challenge, participating bloggers were given the following assignment: Tea cups around the world are bubbling up with bold new flavors: From cardamom chai and sencha green to bubble teas and veggie teas, I’ll be cooking and baking and stirring up tea-inspired healthy dishes.
I took creative license by creating an old fashioned tea party with an updated twist. On my menu …. a caffeine-free mint tea and a recipe for fruit-and-yogurt-topped pavlovas. My treats don’t contain tea per se, but they’re perfect for a child’s tea party or an afternoon tea with the ladies.
For my party, I brewed up Tazo mint green tea. The description sounded like something kids and adults would both enjoy: An invigorating herbal infusion of peppermint and spearmint dressed with a pinch of tarragon. As for my treat, I decided to make pavlovas topped with fresh fruit and plain Greek yogurt versus the usual whipped cream.
Pavlova is a light, fluffy meringue dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova.
Meringues are easy to make. Yes, they’re made with sugar, but you can definitely health-ify them by adding lots of fresh fruit on top.
My intern Alexa—who’s working with me for three weeks as part of her senior year high school internship requirement—makes pavlovas all the time for her own family, so she led the charge as we created our better-for-you tea party!
- Serves: 8
- Serving size: 1 pavlova, yoghurt
- Calories: 100
- Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sodium: 35mg
- Protein: 4g
- 4 large egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 1¼ cups 2%-fat plain Greek yogurt
- Drizzle of agave
- A few pinches of lemon zest
- Diced fresh fruit such as berries, grapes, and mango, optional
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw four, 4-inch circles on each piece of paper, and then turn the paper over. Set aside.
- Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks, about 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Preheat oven to 250°. Divide the meringue evenly among the 8 drawn circles. Shape into nests with half-inch sides using the back of a spoon.
- Bake 1 hour, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Turn oven off, and cool meringues in closed oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Place the Greek yogurt in a bowl and mix in the agave and lemon zest until well combined. Fill each meringue evenly with the Greek yogurt mixture and top with fruit as desired.
