If you love lemon curd (and honestly, who doesn’t?), these tiny pavlovas piled with tart curd and tangy, stabilized whipped cream will have every guest temporarily forget dessert rules — and chocolate.
I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like lemon curd. You might think that’s a dramatic stance — fair — but if I were to choose a tiny culinary soapbox to climb, that would be it. Nothing beats lemon curd, and put against a pillow of meringue with a dollop of softly whipped cream, it becomes something quietly spectacular. Those three flavors — tart curd, airy meringue, and rich cream — are the backbone of many desserts I love, including a chaotic Lemon Meringue Pie Smash in my second cookbook. While working on that, I finally landed on a failproof lemon curd formula and realized how delightful it is to make a dessert that doesn’t leave you with stray yolks or whites to worry about.
These treats are essentially baby pavlovas — crisp at the edges, tender and marshmallowy inside — and they’re my go-to for guests. I started making them for Passover a few years back and, despite a room full of chocoholics, everyone briefly forgot chocolate existed. They’re also wonderfully practical for entertaining because they can mostly be made ahead: the meringues take a long time to bake and cool, so do them first; the curd keeps beautifully chilled; and stabilized whipped cream (a little sour cream or crème fraîche folded in) lets you dollop from the fridge a day or two later. I serve them both assembled and a-la-carte — a stack of meringues with bowls of curd and cream so guests can build their own — and honestly there’s never anything left.
If you’d rather skip the whipped cream, these are lovely with fresh berries spooned over the curd — I like blackberries and blueberries.
4 large egg whites
Two pinches salt
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot powder
Zest of 2 medium/large lemons
Juice of 2 medium/large lemons
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons (45 g) unsalted butter
1 cup (225 g) heavy or whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (30 g) sour cream or crème fraîche
2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar, or more to taste
Fresh berries and/or powdered sugar, optional
Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
In a small bowl, mix the salt, sugar, and cornstarch.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk (or using a hand mixer), beat the egg whites on medium–low until they begin to thicken and look satiny, with trails from the beaters. Increase speed to medium and, with the mixer running, sprinkle in the sugar–cornstarch mixture a little at a time, waiting 10–20 seconds between additions so it dissolves. Beat another minute or two after all the sugar is in, then add the vinegar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks. (I whip at a lower speed than some — it yields a denser, more stable meringue.)
Spoon generous 1/4-cup dollops onto the prepared sheets, spacing evenly; you should have about 12. Use the back of a spoon to make a shallow well in each meringue for the curd.
Bake 35–45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. If they brown, lower the oven to 225°F (105°C) for the remaining time. Finished meringues should feel dry and firm outside but still have a hint of softness inside when gently pressed. They should lift easily from the parchment. Turn the oven off and let them cool inside for at least an hour (longer is fine).
Put the sugar in a heatproof bowl that fits over a saucepan (for a makeshift double boiler). Grate the lemon zest into the sugar and rub with your fingertips to release the oils. Add the lemon juice and yolks, whisk to combine.
Set the bowl over an inch of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water) and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon — about 170–180°F (77–82°C); do not let it simmer.
Remove from heat, stir in the butter until melted, then strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and chill; it will thicken as it cools.
Beat the cream at medium speed until it starts to thicken. Gradually add the sugar and whip until loose peaks form. Fold in the vanilla and the sour cream (or crème fraîche) and continue beating to soft–medium peaks. The cultured addition stabilizes the cream so it’s easy to dollop from the fridge.
Place a meringue on a plate, spoon about a tablespoon of lemon curd into the center, and top with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Finish with powdered sugar or fresh berries if you like.
Make the meringues a day or the morning before you need them. The lemon curd can be made at the same time and keeps up to a week in the refrigerator. The whipped cream, stabilized with sour cream or crème fraîche, will hold well in a covered container and remain almost as good the next day — perfect for easy dolloping when you’re ready to serve.
