Two things that go marvelously together: lemon curd and meringues. Add whipped cream with or without a dollop of crème fraîche or mascarpone and/or ice cream and/or fresh berries and, wow, it’s one of the best desserts you’ll ever eat. Did I mention that the meringues bake themselves overnight? True.
Anything goes once you have meringues. They’re the perfect mix-and-match dessert bar experience. My friend recently made Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Strawberry, Pomegranate, and Rose Petal Mess” from Bon Appétit magazine, which is a somewhat composed version of what’s possible with meringues.
For your (and my) reference, mix and match any or all:
Overnight Meringues, see original recipe or follow these quick steps: 3 egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar, pinch of salt. Place mixing bowl over bain marie and whisk constantly while sugar dissolves and mixture becomes hot. Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with whisk and whip on high speed for 15 minutes until bowl is cool to the touch. While this is happening, preheat oven to 300°. Dollop onto a sheetpan lined with Silpat, 8 mounds or as you like. If you want really big meringues, scale up the recipe 1.5x or 2x, baking happens exactly the same. Place pan in oven, turn off heat, and go to sleep. In the morning, they’ll be perfectly baked.
overnight meringues with rose petals (sprinkle on before bake)
Meyer Lemon Curd, see original recipe or follow these quick steps: 3 eggs, ⅓ cup sugar, zest from 1 Meyer lemon, ½ cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice, 6 tablespoons butter, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook over moderate heat whisking constantly until hot and thickened, 8–10 minutes. I have been known to use 2 of the egg yolks leftover from making the meringues with an additional whole egg. (All egg yolks would probably work too, but I haven’t tested it, you’re looking for about 6 ounces total egg.)
Whipped Cream: Whisk cream with hand whisk (it’s fun! seriously) or use electric mixer fitted with whisk. When cream begins to thicken, sprinkle in powdered sugar, a dash of vanilla, and a few spoonfuls of crème fraîche or mascarpone if you’d like. Continue to beat to soft droopy peaks. Don’t step away, things finish up quite quickly. If you over-beat the cream, don’t worry, you can save it by mixing in additional cream (or what you have—milk, Greek yogurt, sour cream). Also a good reason to always keep an extra pint of cream on hand.
Crème Anglaise is another good option or addition, recipe here. Make it with coconut milk instead of cream if you’d prefer.
fresh berries, ice cream (see my selection here), or sorbet but be careful of things getting overly sweet, some contrast is what makes the best experience.
Have fun!
