Lemon Coconut Pavlovas

Instead of topping the Pavlova with your usual whipped cream and fresh fruit, try filling the crispy and chewy meringues with some tangy lemon curd and topping it with sweet and nutty coconut whipped cream. The flavors work together magically.

Category: Cakes

Recipe in PDF format (print friendly)

• Makes 4 small pavlovas
• Prep time: 20min
• Cook time: 1h 10min + cooling time
• Total time: 1h 30min
• Difficulty: Basic

For the meringues:

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 165g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 175°C. Draw 4 circles approximately 10cm in diameter on a sheet of baking paper. Place it on a baking tray, pencil-side down. To make the meringue, whip the egg whites with an electric whisk to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl. Once all the sugar has been added, whisk for another 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Make sure the sugar has dissolved completely, and the meringue is not grainy. Add the cornstarch, folding gently with a spatula, then pour in the lemon juice and fold through. Spoon the meringue onto the baking paper and, using a palette knife, shape into circles using the penciled mark as a guide. Make a well in the middle, which will hold the filling. Turn the heat down to 120°C and bake for 50-60 minutes until the pavlovas are dry and crisp. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven, with the door ajar until cooled completely about 2 hours. Do not remove the meringues from the oven when it is still warm as it will cool too quickly and may crack and collapse.

For the lemon curd:

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 70g caster sugar
• zest of 3 lemons
• 60ml lemon juice
• 30g butter at room temperature, cut into pieces

Directions

Fill a medium saucepan with some water and bring it to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the water at a bare simmer. Place all of the ingredients except the butter in a large heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water and constantly whisk until the yolks thicken, and the mixture forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted from the bowl, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and whisk in the butter one piece at a time, waiting until each piece is completely melted and incorporated before adding another piece. Strain the curd into a clean bowl. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until cooled completely.

For the coconut whipped cream:

Ingredients

• 1 can of coconut milk

Directions

Place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight to separate the coconut cream from the oil. Open the can and scrape only the thick coconut cream from the top half of the can. Place in a bowl and whip with a hand-held mixer until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream.

To garnish:

Ingredients

• candied lemon slices
• toasted coconut

Directions

Fill the meringues with lemon curd, top with coconut whipped cream, and garnish with candied lemon and toasted coconut.

Additional images