Individual Lemon Curd Meringues

Meringue nests topped with whipped cream, lemon curd and blueberries.

These Individual Lemon Curd Meringues are an elegant dessert and so simple to make. With a delicious combination of flavours and textures, they are guaranteed crowd pleasers. The sweet meringues are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a topping of silky smooth whipped cream which is complemented by tangy Lemon Curd. A smattering of fresh blueberries completes this delicious dessert. So good!

Course Dessert

Cuisine International

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings people

Calories 422kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

3 large egg whites - at room temperature See Note 1
175 g (¾ cup) caster/superfine sugar
360 ml (1 ½ cups) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 2
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 g (1 ½ cups) fresh blueberries
6 tablespoon lemon curd See Notes 3 and 4

Instructions

Preheat oven to 120 Degrees C (250F).
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. As a guide for the meringue, I use a small, upturned saucer or cookie cutter - 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter. With a pencil, draw an outline on the baking paper and then turn the baking paper over and place it on the trays.
Separate three eggs. Save the egg yolks for another use.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a bowl and hand-held electric beaters. Ensure that the bowl and beaters are free from grease. Beat on low speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, increasing the speed of the beaters. Beat constantly until the sugar dissolves, the mixture is thick and glossy and the meringue has stiff peaks.
To check if the sugar has dissolved, rub a small amount of meringue between your thumb and a finger to check if it’s gritty or smooth. If it’s gritty, try beating for a little longer.
Spoon the meringue mixture onto the prepared tray in six mounds, using the circles you drew as a guide.
Use the back of a spoon to smooth it out to the edge of the circle and then make an indent in the centre.
Alternatively, you can use a piping bag and nozzle to make elegant meringue cases if you prefer.
Bake for 45 minutes or until crisp.
Turn the oven off. Leave the meringues to cool in the oven.
Once cool, store the meringues in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Whip the cream and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Or, use hand-held electric beaters, whip until the cream has soft peaks.
Top meringues with cream, lemon curd and blueberries.

Notes

Egg whites: eggs are easier to separate when chilled, but then I like to bring the egg whites to room temperature for greater volume.
Ensure your hands and the bowls you are using are clean and free of any traces of oil/grease. The method I use to separate eggs is to crack the egg and separate using the shell. This method allows you to retain the yolk in the shell and have the white drip into your bowl. If you prefer, you can separate the eggs carefully by holding the yolk in your hand and letting the white drip through your fingers. I recommend separating them into a small bowl one at a time, and then transferring to the bigger bowl for whipping. That way, if you do allow some yolk to get in, you can just get a fresh bowl and start again, rather than getting to egg number three, only to ruin the whole batch!
Cream: use cream that contains approximately 35% milk fat.
Lemon curd: I have used my my homemade Classic Lemon Curd in this recipe.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Storage: if kept in a perfectly dry, airtight container, and stored in a cool, dry, and dark location, the meringues will last up to 2 weeks.
Freezing: the meringue nests can be frozen for up to three months. Freeze the meringues on a tray in a single layer before transferring them to an airtight container. Separate the layers with non-stick baking paper. Allow them to defrost at room temperature.
Serving: assemble the meringues close to serving time as the moisture from the Lemon Curd and cream will quickly cause them to become soft.
Humidity: if possible, it is best to avoid making meringues on humid or rainy days as moisture and meringues are not great friends. Sugar is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water from the surrounding air. Any moisture in the air may prevent them from drying completely and will cause them to become sticky and chewy rather than crisp.

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