I’ve been getting a lot of requests for this pavlova recipe – it’s one I’ve been making for years, and I often teach it in classes and use it as a base recipe for other pavlovas, but this is my go-to, with lemon curd made out of the egg yolks you’ll have left after you make the meringue. It’s perfect – you need something sweet-tart to go with the crunchy-chewy-marshmallowy meringue and creamy-sweet whipped cream. Pavlova truly is the ultimate dessert. This makes a relatively small one, but you could scale it up – I often double the recipe (6 egg whites + 1 1/2 cups sugar) to make a larger pavlova, or two, or one large and a bunch of small ones, or just straight-up meringues. It’s a very versatile formula.

And if you’re at all nervous about the meringue turning out, or if it doesn’t look perfect (who cares though!), you could bash it up and layer it in glasses or a trifle dish to make Eton mess – my other favourite dessert!

Besides the lemon curd, which will last in your fridge for a couple weeks at least, I like to top a pavlova with some form of juicy fruit: berries (even/especially frozen ones) simmered with sugar until they break down and release their juices is my standard, but plums are also divine, or peaches, sour cherries, or simmered rhubarb! And I saw a friend post a mango pavlova on Instagram last week that looked divine.

Whatever you decide to top it with, you can have all the components ready to go ahead of time to assemble when you need it – or assemble your pavlova early in the day if you’d like the layered part to soften before it’s time for dessert.

Berry Pavlova with Lemon Curd

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional)

3 large egg whites

1/2 tsp vanilla

Lemon Curd:

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces

To serve:

fresh berries or berry compote

whipped cream (about 2 cups cream + 2 Tbsp sugar)

Preheat the oven to 250F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and cream of tartar. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until very foamy; gradually add the sugar, beating until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks, and has the consistency of shaving cream. Beat in the vanilla.

Scrape the mixture onto the baking sheet and shape it into a 9-inch nest with the back of a spoon; for smaller pavlovas, drop heaping spoonfuls of meringue onto the sheet, then dip in the tip of a teaspoon and turn to make indents in the middle. Bake for 1 hour (no matter the size), until just barely golden, set and dry.

Meanwhile, make the lemon curd: in a small-medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Set over medium-high heat and whisk until bubbling and thickened. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Set aside for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Pour into a bowl through a sieve, cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

To serve, will the meringue with lemon curd, then top with the whipped cream and berries or berry compote. Serves 6.

Categorydessert

Ingredients