Lemon meringue pavlovas

These individual free-form pavlovas have a couple of fun spins: a silky lemon curd made in the microwave, and dollop of cream whipped with crushed digestive biscuits and sour cream.

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• pinch of salt
• chervil sprigs, to serve
• thin lemon slices, to serve

Microwave lemon curd

• 220 g (1 cup) sugar
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 2 lemons, rind finely grated
• 125 ml (½ cup) lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 g unsalted butter

Biscuit cream

• 150 g digestive or Marie biscuits
• 300 ml thickened cream
• 200 ml sour cream
• pinch of salt

Cooling: 1 hour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 110˚C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. With the motor running, gradually add the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until glossy. About halfway through adding the sugar, stir the cornflour, cream of tartar and salt into the remaining sugar and continue adding. Beat for a further 10 minutes after all the sugar has been added. (The whole process should take about 15 minutes and you should not be able to feel any grains of sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers.)
3. Dollop large spoonfuls of the meringue onto the baking paper to create 8 equally sized meringues. Press down in the centre with the back of a spoon to form an attractive natural edge to the pavlova, and an indentation to hold the lemon curd and biscuit cream. Bake the meringues for 30 minutes, then turn off the oven, allowing the meringues to cool for 1 hour with the door of the oven ajar. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, for the lemon curd, place all the ingredients except the butter in a microwave proof bowl and whisk slowly in one direction until completely combined. Add the butter and microwave for 45 seconds, then remove and whisk again. Repeat the microwaving and whisking 5–6 times or until a thick lemon curd is produced. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. For the biscuit cream, place the biscuits in a zip lock bag or in a small food processor bowl and blitz into a fine crumb. Whisk the cream and sour cream together until soft peaks form. Fold through the biscuit crumbs and salt. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. To serve, place each pavlova on a serving plate and top with a good spoonful of lemon curd. Pipe on the biscuit crumb, then garnish with chervil sprigs and a slice of lemon.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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