Personal Pavlovas with Lemon Curd and Raspberry Coulis

an easy-than-it-looks summer dessert

Pavlovas, in my opinion, are an underrated and relatively simple dessert that punch above their weight in terms of visual appeal and taste. I had my first pavlova when in school at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Popularized by Australians and New Zealanders, pavlovas now regularly appear on dessert menus across the UK and are often brought out at garden parties and summer soirées as a crowd favorite.

If you’re unfamiliar with pavlovas, let me paint a picture! Imagine a sweet, crisp outer shell that melts the moment it hits your mouth, followed by a chewy, meringue-marshmallow interior, topped with a mountain of whipped cream, and adorned with fresh fruit, zingy curds, and a drizzle of sauce. Every bite is both texturally different and unique in flavor.

Image above is a pavlova from Cottage Kitchen, my favorite local cafe in St. Andrews who created several strawberries and cream pavlovas for our 2022 graduation party. As you can see, pavlovas come in all shapes, sizes, and can be topped with anything, so feel free to play around on your own as you create!

The recipe that follows is my own take on a pavlova, customized to be able to serve as personal pavlovas! Note: Pavlovas alone are super tasty, so while there are multiple additions to the meringue base in my take (coulis, cream, and curd), feel free to adjust to your liking or experiment with your own additions.

Ingredients

Pavlovas

• 6 room-temperature egg whites (reserve yolks for curd, see below)

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon corn starch

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Lemon Curd

• 6 egg yolks (reserved from pavlovas)

• 3 lemons, zested and juiced

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 stick of unsalted butter

Raspberry Coulis

• 1 pint fresh raspberries

• 1 lemon or orange, zested and juiced

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 tablespoon St Germain (optional)

Whipped Cream

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Directions

1. For the Pavlovas

   1. Turn oven on to 250 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

   2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and pour into a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, begin to whip on medium speed. After 1-2 minutes, when egg whites begin to become frothy, increase speed to high. Continue to whip until soft peaks form, 1-2 minutes.

   3. Once soft peaks form, begin to incorporate white sugar a tablespoon at a time, ensuring each scoop of sugar is blended into egg whites before adding more.

   4. Once all sugar is added, turn off the mixer and pour in the corn starch, vinegar/lemon, and the vanilla extract/paste. Turn mixer back on and continue to whip until stiff peaks form, 3-4 minutes. Stiff peaks are defined by beating egg whites until they become thick and glossy and retain their shape (peak) when whisk is lifted from bowl.

   5. Working quickly, spoon meringue onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, creating 8-10 pavlova nests.

   6. Bake at 250 degrees F for an hour and 15 minutes. While baking, begin work on the curd, coulis, and whipped cream.

   7. After 75 minutes, turn off the oven, leaving pavlovas inside to continue baking and drying out and until oven returns to room temperature. Finished meringues will appear crisp and dry, not cracked or sticky.

2. For the Lemon Curd

   1. Fill a small pot with 2 inches of water and place on high heat until water begins to boil.

   2. Place a heat-safe bowl on top of your pot to create a double boiler. Into the bowl, add egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Using a silicone spatula or metal whisk, constantly stir until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

   3. Once thickened, remove from heat and add in butter, continuing to stir until butter melts into the curd. Immediately pour the curd into a glass jar and let cool. Once cool, add jar top, and place in the refrigerator for use up to 10 days.

3. For the Raspberry Coulis

   1. Pour raspberries, sugar, lemon/orange zest and juice, and optional St. Germain into a small saucepan or pot and bring to a medium heat. Let simmer and stir occasionally until raspberries breakdown and juice renders down to a thick sauce. Turn off heat and allow rest on stove until cool, coulis will continue to thicken as it sits.

   2. Option to pour coulis through a fine mesh sieve to remove raspberry seeds for a smoother consistency.

   3. Pour cooled coulis into a small jar and refrigerate. Use within one week of making.

4. For the Whipped Cream

   1. In a large mixing bowl, pour in heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract/paste. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, use whisk attachment to begin whipping cream. Whip 3-5 minutes on high until cream begins to form soft, aerated peaks. Place bowl in refrigerator and use within one hour of making (whipped cream can lose its aeration if it sits too long— if this happens, just re-whip until you get back to the original peaks).

5. Assembly (assemble immediately before serving)

   1. Place individual pavlovas on small plates, then, taking a large spoon, tap the top of each pavlova, cracking the crispy shell and making a small indentation that will hold your toppings.

   2. Pull whipped cream from the refrigerator and ladle a whopping spoonful in each small pavlova well.

   3. Top the whipped cream with a small spoonful of lemon curd then drizzle the raspberry coulis atop the pavlova-cream-curd stack.

   4. Serve promptly and enjoy!