Directions: |
Directions:Preheat oven to 350º. Take a piece of parchment and draw a 10-inch circle in pencil and place on a baking sheet, pencil side down. This serves as a guide, but won't leave pencil marks on your pavlova.
Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. It really does need to be stiff.
Sprinkle the cornstarch, zest and lemon juice over the meringue and fold it in gently until everything is mixed in. Mound onto the lined baking sheet and form into a fat circle, smoothing the sides and top.
Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300º. Bake for 1 hour. The exterior will be hard and crisp, but the interior will be soft and squidgy. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Alternatively, open the oven door and allow to cool in the oven.
Whip the cream until thick and airy, but still soft. I generally add just a small amount of confectioner's sugar as everything else is very sweet. You can add vanilla, but for this I also add some Limoncello.
Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium to high heat until they have started to color. Shake the pan and don't look away, since they will burn in a heartbeat. This only takes one or two minutes. Pour them onto a plate to cool off. Zest another lemon and set aside.
Place the lemon curd in a bowl and beat it to loosen it up a bit. Taste it and if it is too sweet, add some lemon zest and juice. You want it tart to offset the sweet pavlova. Store-bought curd tends to be really sweet, but homemade is usually nice and tart.
To assemble, flip the pavlova upside-down onto your serving platter and peel the parchment off. (You can do this before guests arrive and let sit; however, don't assemble further until right before serving.) Spread the lemon curd all over the meringue base. Then mound the whipped cream and sprinkle with the zest and toasted almonds. (I know, the photo shows that I added the curd on top of the cream─but it was still delicious.)
Serve right away and enjoy.
Note: Meringue base can be made a day ahead. Store in an airtight container until needed. Curd can be made a few days ahead. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Almonds can be toasted up to a week ahead. Store in an airtight container.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, loosely covered. Please note that the crispiness of the outside of the meringue does not last for leftovers, but it still tastes good. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Finally a non-chocolate pavlova that works! This will be good for all kinds of fruits. Instead of lemon curd, I will use macerated peaches, marinated cherries, or whatever! I will omit the zest for those other applications and possibly use a white vinegar instead of lemon juice (you don't taste it, but you need the acidity to stabilize the meringue). I will also use whatever appropriate flavoring in the cream to correspond with the fruit.
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