Petite Pavlovas With Lemon Cream And Fresh Fruit Food

BERRY PAVLOVA WITH LEMON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Prepare the Meringue Shell: Preheat your oven to 275°F (135°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Trace a 8-inch diameter circle on the parchment paper (using a 8-inch cake pan or plate) with a pencil. Flip the parchment paper over, so that the pencil side is facing down.
• Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk over medium speed until the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to high. Slowly add the sugar, sprinkling it one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating for roughly 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with spatula and continue to whisk over high speed until the meringue mixture reaches stiff peaks and is glossy, an additional 3 to 5 additional minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract, cornstarch, and lemon juice, and whisk at high speed for an additional minute until well combined. Fold with a spatula to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated well.
• Using a spatula, gently transfer the meringue to the center of the circle on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Using a small offset spatula or knife, smooth the meringue into a thick disk using the edges of the circle as a rough guide. Use the offset spatula to create a slight dip in the center to hold the cream and berries. The meringue should be roughly about 2½ to 3 inches tall.
• Bake the meringue until crisp, pale in color, and dry to touch, roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. If the meringue is not crisp or dry to touch, bake it for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and use a heat-proof utensil to prop open the oven door. Allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about 1 to 1½ hours. It should be crisp, dry to touch, and have a slightly cracked appearance once cooled.
• Prepare the lemon berry filling: Just before serving, place the chilled heavy cream in a clean bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment - or alternatively, use a hand-held mixer. Beat the cream, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing to high, until it reaches soft peaks. Using a spatula, fold in the lemon curd, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
• Assemble: Carefully transfer the meringue shell to a flat serving platter; meringues are very fragile, so you may want to use the parchment paper to do this or alternatively, serve it on the sheet pan. Top the meringue with the lemon curd cream, followed by the mixed berries, and dust with powdered sugar, if using.
• Serve in large scoops. Pavlova is best enjoyed the day it is baked, as meringue will gain moisture and lose its crispness with time; leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

PAVLOVA WITH LEMON CREAM AND BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Beat egg whites at medium-high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 1 minute; add cream of tartar and salt, beating until blended. Gradually add sugar mixture, 1 tablespoons at a time, beating at medium-high speed until mixture is glossy, stiff peaks form, and sugar dissolves. (Do not overbeat.) Beat in vanilla. Gently spread mixture into a 7-inch round on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, making an indentation in center of meringue to hold filling.
• Bake at 225° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until pale golden and outside has formed a crust. Turn oven off; let meringue stand in oven, with door closed and light on, 12 hours.
• Meanwhile, whisk together lemon curd and sour cream until smooth. Cover and chill.
• Spoon lemon mixture into center of meringue, and top with fruit. (Center of meringue may fall once the lemon mixture and berries have been added.) Garnish with zest, if desired.

LEMON-CREAM PAVLOVA WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• In an extra-large bowl allow egg whites to stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle on paper; invert paper on baking sheet.
• Position baking rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 250°F. For meringue, add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with a mixer on medium until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Beat in 2 tsp. of the vanilla. Sift cornstarch over beaten egg whites; fold in gently.
• Using a large spoon, spread meringue over circle on paper, building up edges slightly to form a shell. Bake 1 1/2 hours (do not open door). Turn off oven; let meringue stand in oven with door closed 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, for topping, in a chilled large bowl beat cream, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla with chilled clean beaters on medium until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold in Lemon Curd.
• Lift meringue shell off paper and transfer to a plate. Spread with topping and sprinkle with raspberries and, if desired, pistachios. Lemon Curd
• Finely shred peel from 2 lemons and juice all of the lemons. In a small saucepan stir together the sugar and cornstarch; stir in lemon peel and juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir half of the mixture into the egg yolks. Return mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until just bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl. Gradually add butter pieces, stirring after each addition until melted. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill at least 45 minutes.

LEMON PAVLOVAS WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Pavlovas: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until thick, about 2 minutes. With the machine on medium-high speed, gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the salt, cream of tartar and lemon zest. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drop 8 (1/2) cupfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Using the back of a spoon make a 1 1/2-inch diameter well in the center of each meringue. Bake for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool completely in the oven for 2 hours. Store airtight in a plastic container for up to 1 week.
• Berries: In a small bowl, toss together the berries, sugar and lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Cream: In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
• Assembly: Put the meringues on small plates and spoon a dollop of the mascarpone cream into the wells. Top with the berries and serve.
• Cook's Note: If using blueberries, gently mash them with a fork before mixing with the sugar and lemon juice.
• Cook's Note: The meringue mixture can also be placed in a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain tip (recommended: Ateco # 9808) and piped onto the baking sheet.

PETITE PAVLOVAS WITH LEMON CREAM AND FRESH FRUIT RECIPE

Steps:

• To Make the Meringue: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Trace 4 evenly spaced 4-inch-diameter circles on each parchment sheet. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed about 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon the meringue onto the baking sheets using the traced circles as a guide. Use the back of a spoon to build up a 1-inch rim on each meringue round. Bake the meringues for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave them inside the closed oven for 1 hour longer, or overnight if that is more convienient. Well wrapped, the meringues will keep for 2 days at room temperature, or they can be frozen up to 3 weeks. To Make the Filling: Whisk the egg yolks, eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and champagne in a large bowl set over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Cook about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Cut the butter into 4 pieces. Whisk the butter into the lemon mixture, one piece at a time. Cook about 10 minutes longer, whisking occasionally. The lemon filling will be thick and puddinglike. Cover the filling with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the curd, sealing it and leaving no air between the wrap and the filling. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or for up to 3 days. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream in a large bowl on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and beat until thoroughly combined. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled lemon filling. Spoon the lemon filling into the meringue shells and top with the fruit. Serve immediately. Note: Here is another one of my emergency recipes: I prepare the components ahead and then throw them together at the last minute. These look impressive, and people will think you worked really hard to make them. If you're truly pressed for time, buy a jar of ready-made lemon curd and fold it into the whipped cream. This is a terrific light dessert for spring or summer. Although it isn't exactly low-fat, it feels like it, making it a perfect choice for the reluctant dessert eater who resists throwing caution to the wind.

PAVLOVAS WITH LEMON CURD AND TROPICAL FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2). Beat the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating well after each addition, until thick and glossy with stiff peaks. stir in the vanilla.
• Line a tray with baking paper and spoon the mixture into six small nests on the tray. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 120oc (250oF/Gas 1/2) and bake for 10 minutes Turn off the oven and leave the pavlovas to cool in the oven with the door ajar.
• To make the lemon curd, put the lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar, eggs and butter in a heatproof bowl and whisk together.
• Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl is not sitting in the water. Stir for about 15 minutes, or until the curd is thick - do not allow it to boil. Lat plastic wrap on the surface and leave to cool. Fold on the whipped cream all through the curd. Spoon into the pavlovas and top with banana, mango and passionfruit.