Orange Curd Filled Pavlovas Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Make meringue: Trace a 10-inch circle onto a piece of parchment paper. Turn over and use parchment to line a baking sheet. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of cream of tartar on high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream and continue to beat on high until whites are very stiff and glossy and sugar is dissolved, 5 minutes.
• With an offset spatula, gently shape meringue into a round on parchment-lined sheet, using circle as a guide; smooth top (make center slightly concave). Bake meringue until outside is dry, 2 hours. Turn off oven and let meringue cool completely in oven, about 5 hours (or up to overnight).
• Make curd: In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together granulated sugar, egg yolks, and orange zest; whisk in orange and lemon juices and pinch of salt. Place pan over medium-high and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and small bubbles form around edge of pan, 5 minutes (do not let boil). Immediately remove pan from heat while whisking. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing on curd with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap against surface; refrigerate until cool, 30 minutes (or up to 2 weeks).
• Make topping: In a large bowl, using mixer, beat cream and confectioners' sugar on high until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. Gently peel meringue from parchment and transfer to a platter. Spoon curd in center and top with whipped cream and white chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Use a 3-inch bowl to trace 6 circles on each of 2 sheets of parchment paper. Transfer each sheet of parchment paper to a baking sheet tracing-side down.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar in 3 additions, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Gently fold to combine.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip, about 5/8 inch in diameter. Pipe a mound of meringue in the center of each of the circles. Use the back of a spoon to create an indentation in the center of each mound. Transfer baking sheets to oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake until firm and dry to the touch but not browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Turn off oven and let meringues cool for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make curd: Combine yolks, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, salt, and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Let mixture come to a rapid simmer and cook, continually scraping sides of pan, for 2 minutes. If desired, strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and very firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 1/2 weeks.
• Make topping: Whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Top meringues with a dollop of curd and whipped cream and if desired, serve with orange segments.

Steps:

• For the orange curd: In a medium saucepot, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar together until pale yellow and slightly thickened and the whisk leaves lines behind it. Next, whisk in the orange juice and zest. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, just until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds its shape when you drag your finger through it, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter until completely combined. Pour the curd into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. If any of the curd got slightly overcooked, put it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any set egg yolk.
• Cover the curd with plastic wrap pressed directly to the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (The curd will hold well for up to 4 days.)
• For the meringue: Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 300 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Stir together the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl until the cornstarch completely dissolves. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the egg whites are frothy. With the machine running, slowly stream in the granulated sugar. Increase the speed to high and whip the egg whites until you see ribbons left in the meringue by the whip attachment. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and whip a few seconds more, until stiff peaks form and the meringue becomes very glossy.
• Mound the meringue in the middle of the baking mat and spread it into a 10-inch round using a small offset spatula -- the shape needn't be perfect, but make sure to spread the meringue in an even layer.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then drop the oven temperature down to 200 degrees F. Bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes. The meringue is done when the top is set and not tacky to the touch, and when a small offset spatula can be slid underneath and come out clean or with very little meringue attached. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the meringue sit for an additional 30 minutes.
• Remove the meringue from the oven; run a large offset spatula around the circumference to release it from the baking mat. Set a serving platter beside the baking sheet and gently slide the meringue onto the platter. Let sit at room temperature until ready to assemble.
• For the vanilla whipped cream: Combine the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla paste in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.
• To assemble: Spoon the curd into the center of the meringue and spread it in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread the whipped cream over the curd. Top decoratively with the clementine and grapefruit wheels. Garnish the entire pavlova with the lime zest and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Remove the zest from the oranges with a vegetable peeler, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced.
• Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar/orange zest mixture and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the orange juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The orange curd will be ready when it coats a spoon, and it will register about 175 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Be careful not to overcook, or it will curdle. Remove from the heat and let cool or refrigerate.
• Place the orange curd in a bowl and decoratively arrange the strawberries on a serving platter around the bowl.

Steps:

• For the pavlova: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line 2 sheet trays with silicone pads.
• Put the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk just to break up the egg. Add the granulated sugar and mix on medium until it holds stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar and salt and whisk on medium-high to tighten, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl down with a spatula and whisk on high for 30 seconds just to make sure it's even in texture with glossy hard peaks.
• Put the mixture into a disposable pastry bag and snip off the top inch. Pipe the egg white mixture on the lined sheet trays in six 3- to 4-inch filled-in circles, as if you are putting icing on top of a cupcake. Create a well on each pavlova using the bottom of a spoon, then bake until the pavlovas are hard to the touch, about 2 hours. Allow to cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack before serving.
• For the lemon curd whipped cream: Meanwhile, put the juice, zest, yolks, granulated sugar and scraped vanilla seeds into a medium pot. Turn the heat on medium-high and cook, constantly stirring with a rubber spatula in a figure 8 motion until it coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter, salt and 1 cup cream until completely combined. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a shallow dish. Allow to cool for a minute or two before covering with plastic wrap, touching the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Put the dish in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Whip the remaining 3 cups cream to medium peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Fold the cooled lemon curd into the whipped cream and keep cold until ready to assemble.
• When ready to serve, place the lemon curd whipped cream in a pastry bag and snip off just the top 1/2-inch. Put 1 small dollop on each serving plate. Place a pavlova on top and lightly press down into the lemon cream to prevent it from sliding. Pipe 1 large dollop of lemon curd whipped cream into the center of the pavlova where you created the well. Garnish with the berries on top of the whipped cream and on the plate, giving it a natural look, rather than an overly plated look. Dust with the powdered sugar.