This Easter weekend I was invited to my girlfriend's home to spend Easter with her family. We were asked if we wanted to make dessert for dinner on Easter Sunday so I thought it would be a nice way of saying thank you (and a nice break from revising for exams) by making this amazing dessert that was showcased on Great British Bake off.
Now I don't profess you have made it as well as Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood (the former being my secret crush and the latter being my girlfriend's not so secret crush!!!). However, this was very easy to make and is very impressive to showoff to friends and family!
Ingredients
For the Meringue:
6 free range egg whites
350g caster sugar
2tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
For the Lemon Curd Filling:
6 free range egg yolks
350g caster sugar
4 lemons (juice only)
225g butter
450ml Double Cream
To Serve:
30 Mini eggs
100g Caster Sugar
4 Lemons (zest only)
- Preheat the oven to 160C. Lay a piece of baking paper on a baking tray and draw a 25cm circle on it (I just drew around a dinner plate which is roughly 27cm).
- Put the egg whites into a bowl and whisk on the fastest speed with an electric hand-whisk or in a free-standing mixer until stiff (I would do this first to avoid any fat or oil being in the mixing bowl.
- Gradually, still whisking on maximum speed, add generous teaspoons of sugar until the mixture is stiff and shiny and stands in peaks (I found I had to do this for a good few minutes on the strongest speed to get firm peaks)
- Blend the vinegar and cornflour together in a cup and mix until smooth. Stir this into the meringue mixture.
- Spread half of the meringue mixture onto the paper within the circle. Fill a piping bag, fitted with a rose nozzle, with the rest of the meringue mixture. Carefully pipe about 8-10 separate little nests positioned equally around the edge of the circle (I didn't do this too neatly as the meringue mixture wasn't firm enough and i'm rubbish at piping).
- Slide the meringue into the middle of the oven, turn the heat down to 150C and bake for 1½-2 hours (check after one hour), or until it easily comes off the paper. The pavlova will be a pale creamy colour rather than white. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in the oven to become cold.
- Meanwhile, make the lemon curd for the filling. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, simmering gently on the stove. Add the egg yolks, sugar and lemon juice to the bowl and whisk. Gradually add the butter, whisking continually until it starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon when it reaches the correct consistency. It will firm up further once cooled (do not let it boil as the eggs will curdle and you will have to start again)
- Whisk the double cream in a large bowl until thickened, then swirl it through the cooled lemon curd (I didn't use all of the curd as I used it to drizzle over and make a separate jar of lemon curd)
- Spoon the lemon curd and cream mixture into the middle of the pavlova and spread over the base of the meringue nest. Spoon a lemon filling into each of the mini nests. Decorate by placing three chocolate mini-eggs in each of the 10 mini-nests around the edge of the dessert.
- Put 100ml/3½fl oz water and the caster sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil, stirring. Add the zest and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until syrupy. Drain on parchment paper, roll in extra caster sugar and leave to dry in a warm place for a couple of hours, or overnight. Place a delicate mound of candied zest in the middle of the pavlova, and serve.
Bon Appetite!
