Individual Chocolate Pavlovas and…The Chocolate Game

When I posted a fig and prosciutto salad a few days ago, there was a reference to all the cousins at the party sitting down to play ‘the chocolate game’.

Individual Chocolate Pavlovas

Individual Chocolate Pavlovas

I had many comments from people asking, ‘What is the chocolate game?’  It seems only Claire and I grew up playing this fantastic game and how sad for everyone else.  It was always the most anticipated and looked forward to game at every party.

All kids love the chocolate game

All kids love the chocolate game

So here’s how it works.

You buy a block of chocolate that’s solid chocolate – no liquid centres, nuts or dried fruit.  Without breaking it up into squares, unwrap the chocolate and place it on a board or plate with a knife and fork and put it on the floor (away from your dogs).

Served with whipped vanilla cream

Served with whipped vanilla cream

Next to the chocolate have a few dress-ups like a hat, gloves, scarf, sunglasses, jacket, etc.

All the children sit in a circle near the chocolate and dress-ups.

Give the birthday child a dice.

Individual pavlovas

Individual pavlovas

Going around in a circle, every child has a turn at rolling the dice.  If you roll a six you run over to the chocolate.  First you have to put on the dress-ups, then you have to use the knife and fork to cut the chocolate and you can only cut one square at a time.  No fingers are allowed.  You can sit there and eat as much chocolate as you like until the next child rolls a six.  You may not get a chance to even finish putting on the dress-ups before the next ‘six’ is yelled from the circle or you may just be in luck and can sit there and eat chocolate until your sugar levels send you into a diabetic coma.

A gluten-free dessert

A gluten-free dessert

It’s always a crowd-pleasing game that brings on lots of shouting and screaming and is guaranteed to send all children into a frenzy.  You would swear they’d never had chocolate before.

And after the chocolate game, you can sit down to these individual chocolate pavlovas.  At the moment I seem to have an endless supply of frozen egg whites in my freezer and I can’t even remember what I did with all the yolks.

Topped with fresh raspberries

Topped with fresh raspberries

A good way to use up egg whites is by either making meringues or pavlovas.  I made meringues a few weeks ago and to ensure I can never be accused of serving the same dish twice, this time I made pavlovas.  And to vary the pavlova theme, this time I made chocolate pavlovas served with a vanilla cream and fresh raspberries.

This is a very affordable dessert that can be made in advance, is gluten-free and requires only a handful of ingredients.

A make-ahead dessert

A make-ahead dessert

5.0 from 6 reviews
Individual Chocolate Pavlovas
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
A summer dessert of individual chocolate pavlovas served with whipped vanilla cream and fresh raspberries.
Ingredients
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup castor sugar
  • 2 tbspns cocoa, sieved
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 300mls thickened cream
  • 1 tbspn icing sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean scraped
  • 1 punnet fresh raspberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 140C (285F).
  2. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Draw 6 x 6cm circles on the paper.
  3. In a clean, dry bowl (preferably stainless steel) beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until thick and glossy.
  4. Fold in cocoa and vinegar.
  5. You can pipe the meringue onto the circles for a neat look or create rustic blobs by dolloping the meringue onto the circles. I usually go with the rustic look as cleaning piping bags is a bother.
  6. Place the pavlovas in the oven and cook for 50 minutes (or until dry to touch).
  7. Open oven door and allow to cool (do not leave oven door closed or the marshmallow centre will dry out. Do not remove from oven or pavlovas will crack).
  8. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and berries.
  9. For the cream:
  10. Whisk together the cream, icing sugar and scraped vanilla bean until soft peaks form.
Individual Chocolate Pavlovas

Individual Chocolate Pavlovas

Comments

  1. Very pretty dessert. And the chocolate game seems fun, even for us grownups 🙂

  2. Danielle says:

    I remember the chocolate game, and the flour game too, that was always fun though best played outside! These individual choc pavlovas are a great idea.

  3. Crazy game worth sharing. And lovely little pave too.

  4. I love the chocolate game, I bet it’s a riot. Lovely pavlovas and perfect for easter. GG

  5. The chocolate game sounds like a lot of fun for kids. I’d never heard of it before. As to the chocolate pavs … they look great.

  6. I never grew up playing the chocolate game (you must have been more well behaved – I can imagine it would have ended in tears with us) but I do remember talking to people about it and think I might have played it as an adult but my memory has obviously been rotted by all the sugar to have clear memories. Chocolate pavolvas sounds great – would love to try them one day but I just avoid recipes with egg yolks alone and hence do not have egg whites about.

  7. I don’t think we have that game in the US! At least, I’ve never heard of it. But I might have to incorporate it into this year’s Easter celebrations….

  8. Thanks for explaining the chocolate game, Charlie. This sounds like one I may need to introduce to friends’ young children during our Family Game Night at church.

  9. Oh what a fun game for the kids. I can hear all of our nieces and nephews screaming at the top of their lungs. I shall definitely be introducing this game at our next family get together.
    Fabulous pavlova Charlie.
    Have a beautiful weekend.
    🙂 Mandy xo

  10. Wait – so the Chocolate Game is only for children? I think I am gonna try and talk some adults into playing it with me – though I better have some of these Chocolate Pavlovas on hand in case I don’t roll a six! 🙂
    xx

  11. dang these look good! im loving this creation

  12. Ooohh…these look fantastic. I remember the salad. I pinned it, tweeted it, and have the recipe to try for myself. Yum to both.

  13. I love the chocolate game. Imagine Australians keeping this fun game to themselves all these years. The cat’s out of the bag now!

    I do love pavlova. I have invited the oldies from the nursing home to come for lunch on Tuesday and pavlova is the requested dessert. I should do this one!

  14. We never played the chocolate game as kids – but I did play it Uni – enough said! The pavs look lovely – Charlie.

  15. Thank you for explaining the chocolate game, Charlie…Makes this big kid want to play! Of course your oh-so sophisticated chocolate pavlovas have my mouthwatering too! P.s. How long do you keep your egg whites? Do you ever freeze them?

  16. We used to play the Chocolate game as kids and featured it at many of my own children’s birthday parties … so much fun! Excited to try these chocolate pavs … they look fantastic!

  17. What a great dessert Charlie and a great way to keep children of all ages chocolate entertained!

  18. I remember the chocolate game. My mum used to freeze the chocolate to make it that little bit more challenging!

  19. That chocolate game sounds brilliant! I’ll bet your parties were popular. Lovely little pavs, too. I was thinking of making soup for dinner this arvo, but might just go straight to dessert instead.

  20. I have heard of that game but I am not sure I ever got to play it.
    I bet your pavlovas have a lovely soft but slightly chewy centre. Yum!

  21. Melissa Batten says:

    I remember the chocolate game..one friend’s father was a surgeon and we’d have to put on surgical gloves before attacking the Cadburys family block..a near impossible task!

  22. Sweet Posy Dreams says:

    My goodness, the chocolate game sounds like lots of fun. I would have loved that as a child, heck maybe I still would! The pavlovas look so pretty.

  23. I too have never heard of the chocolate game, thanks for the explanation. Cool dressy pavlovas, I could eat 2 or more.

  24. The chocolate game is so much fun! I am going to have the kids play it at my son’s party next week. The pavlovas look superb.

  25. Ok – now I know what the chocolate game is:) I’d be happy watching the mayhem with a chocolate pavlova or two….

  26. Brilliant game, I went forth and played the game today (forgot to comment in my excitement). When I knocked on potential boyfriends door holding chocolate, dice and in fancy dress, his eyes lit up. Asssss if…. Mind outta the gotta buddy, we are playing the chocolate game. 🙂 lol! Thanks for sharing.

  27. This is the best dessert Charlie. perfect for all occasions. x

  28. Clearly you come from a very fun family, Charlie! There were not chocolate games in my childhood! 🙂 I don’t think there were Pavlovas either, now that I think of it! I wold love to try this recipe!

  29. That chocolate game sounds great, not only for kids! ha! 😉

    Your chocolate pavlovas look incredibly delicious & are so beautifully presented too!
    MMMMMMM!

  30. We’re having chocolate pavlova for Easter dessert, perfect end to a meal 🙂 I grew up playing the chocolate game too, always a hit at parties. One year though, my mum slipped a (seemingly) humongous beige coloured bra in with the dressups as a surprise. My friends all laughed, but I thought I’d die of embarrassment! Xo

  31. Like the others, had not heard of the chocolate game. Your pavlovas are so beautiful and look like a perfect dessert for Easter. I’m going to start freezing my egg whites so I can have them on hand when the pavlova desire strikes next!

  32. That sounds like one amazing game, I know a few adults who would love to play it. The individual chocolate pavlovas look beautiful and I bet they were delicious too. You know, you could always make macarons with the egg whites!

  33. Choc pav. Delish! Happy Easter.

  34. Thank you for describing the chocolate game, as I was one of the commenters that enquired. I will be sure to try it at the next party (I didn’t say children!).

  35. I’ve never heard of the chocolate game but my kids would love it!

  36. I’ve never heard of that game either. What fun! The Pavlovas look yummy. I haven’t made them in years, I’ll have to do that!

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  1. […] recently learned an amazing “Chocolate game’ from Charlie at @Hotly spiced, and I had the kids play […]

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