Pavlova Royal Eggs w/ Lemon Curd Yolks

Pavlova is a type of meringue created for the Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova after her tour of New Zealand in the 1920's. It is a bit of crunchy fluff quick to make, slow to heat in the oven, and beautiful to behold.

"Wait, what are these?!?" was the reaction I got when I offered around these "eggs" after brunch. Perfect for this holiday weekend, they will surely bring some fun to your table, too!

My Paleo Marin: 5 Persimmons

Anna Pavlova Image from art.com

Ingredients:

For the Meringues:

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2/3 OR 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar (personal preference)

For the Curd:

3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup pure cane sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (microplane)
Juice of 1-2 fresh lemons (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 stick salted butter, sliced into slivers

Directions:

Place racks in the lower third and upper third positions in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

For the Meringue:

1. In a stand mixer with a very clean bowl and whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 minute more. Add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time and beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes more. Taste for sugar.

2. If you have a 2" ice cream scoop with a spring-loaded handle, carefully scoop up the meringue, flatten the bottom with a knife, and turn onto baking sheet, spacing about 1 1/2" apart. Depress a small hole in the top with a spoon to later fill with curd.

If you do not have an ice cream scoop with a spring-loaded handle, use a regular ice cream scoop or a large spoon to scoop up the meringue. Slide it off with a rubber spatula and loosely form an egg shape on the parchment paper. Depress the center with a spoon to later fill with lemon curd.

3. Bake until the meringues are dry and crisp, about 2 hours. If they are still sticky, turn off the heat and leave in the oven for a couple more hours - one recipe said overnight. (My house is humid, so they stayed sticky - use moist fingers to handle). When the meringues lift up easily from the parchment paper, remove the baking sheets from the oven and place on racks. Let the meringues cool completely. Place the meringues on a  serving plate, or store the unfilled meringues in a covered container at room temperature (if serving in the next day) or in the fridge (up to 3 days) until ready to eat.

For the Curd:

1. Simmer 1" of water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. In a metal bowl that can rest on top of the saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest together. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan (making sure the bottom does not touch the water), and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, turns pale, and sticks to the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Taste for sugar.

2. Remove from the heat, and add the butter slivers a few at a time. Whisk to combine. Place the lemon curd in a small bowl and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the curd. Place in the fridge for about 3 hours and up to 1 week.

To Serve:

1. Place the meringues on a serving plate. Using an icing bag or a spoon, add the curd to the well of each meringue to form a "yolk." Serve immediately.

Makes about 30 meringues.

#meringue #pavlova #lemon #lemoncurd #Easter #eastereggs #dessert #glutenfree 

Recipe adapted from the Food Network recipe here.