Lemon Raspberry Pavlova (GF)

Forgive my unexpected time lapse between posts.  By now, I ought to know that when I’m taking a trip back to North Dakota (which is where I've been the past two weeks), I really won’t have time to finish a post, even if I have the best intentions of doing so, haha.  I’m also sorry for not sharing this lemon raspberry pavlova with you sooner! It’s a keeper. 

Every time I make a pavlova for dessert, I wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s very easy to make & naturally gluten free, not to mention super tasty. Luckily, I’ve gotten a couple friends hooked on it, and they remind me to make it :) When one of those aforementioned friends celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago, I knew it was the perfect time to test out a pavlova variation that has been rolling around my head for quite a while.....

 Most often, when I’m making pavlova, I make a version of the Berry Pavlova I posted last July; however, this time, I switched things up. I don’t know if there’s a way to make a pavlova more elegant than it already is, but somehow crafting it into individual portions seems to do the trick. Plus, they’re easier to serve at a dinner party (which is where I served these). And using tart lemon curd as the filling pared wonderfully with the sweet meringue shell. Top little whipped cream and a few raspberries & you’re set with a spectacular dessert.

Pavlova Shells
Yields 4 servings 

2 ea Whites
3.5 oz / 1/2 c Granulated Sugar
Vanilla Bean Paste/Vanilla Extract (optional, I forgot to add it to mine & they still tasted great!) 
1 tsp Cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 250 F. 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & spray with cooking spray .  
3. In the very clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the egg whites.  Mix on medium-low speed until they become foamy.  Gradually add the sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time. 
4. Once all the sugar is added, increase the mixer speed to high & whip until the mixture holds stiff peaks and becomes very thick & glossy.  
5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl & add a splash of the vanilla bean paste/extract. Mix on high speed one additional minute.  
6. Remove the bowl from the mixer & sift the cornstarch over the meringue.  Use a silicone spatula to gently fold in the cornstarch, taking care not to deflate the meringue.  
7. Use a large portion scoop to portion the meringue into 4 small mounds on the prepared parchment. Use a small offset spatula to hollow out the center slightly to make room for the filling & fruit that will be added after baking.  
8. Place the pan into the oven & immediately drop the oven temperature to 225 F. 
9. Bake the pavlovas for 30 minutes, rotate the pan & bake for 15 to 30 additional minutes.  When done, the outside will be dry & firm to the touch, but the interior will be soft & marshmallow-y Ideally, the pavlovas should remain very pale cream in color. If they begin to brown, reduce the oven temperature, or even turn the oven off & allow the residual heat to finish the baking process. 
10. Cool completely before assembly. If not planning to assemble & serve the pavlovas immediately, tightly wrapped the completely cooled meringue shell & store at room temperature so that it retains it’s crispy shell. 

Lemon Curd

sorry, I do not have a volume measurement for this recipe. If you run out of time to make your own curd, you could substitute store bought :)

80 g Egg Yolks

126 g Granulated Sugar

100 g Lemon Juice

25 g Heavy Cream

65 g Butter

1. In a small stainless steel saucepan, whisk together yolks, sugar, juice, cream, and butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture just reaches a boil (do not let boil). 
2. Strain curd through a fine sieve into a bowl. 
3. Cool curd with its surface covered with plastic wrap (pressed into the curd, so that it doesn’t develop a skin), and chill. Alternately, chill over an ice bath (with plastic pressed into the curd). 
4. Curd may be refrigerated for up to 2 days. 

Assembly

Assemble just before serving

Cooled Pavlova Shells

Chilled Lemon Curd

Whipped Cream

Fresh Raspberries

Mint (optional garnish--my grocery store was completely out, so I couldn’t use any...) 

1. Gently press the center of the pavlova shell to indent it a little further. 
2. Spoon a little lemon curd into the indentation.
3. Top with a quenelle (or dollop) of whipped cream & sprinkle with a few raspberries. Optional: garnish with a few sprigs of fresh mint. 
4. Serve immediately!