“Heavenly” is the only word to be used for these light and airy little meringues. The sweetness of the dry, crisp meringue is tempered by the tang and smoothness of a perfect lemon curd.
MAKES ABOUT 60 MINI MERINGUES
EQUIPMENT: A heavy-duty mixer fitted with a whisk; a large rubber spatula or large metal spoon; two baking sheets lined with baking parchment; a pastry bag fitted with a large nozzle.
4 large egg whites, free-range and organic, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (280 g) superfine sugar
6 tablespoons Lemon Curd or Passion Fruit Curd
Crème fraîche or sour cream, for serving
1. Arrange two racks in the lower half of the oven. Preheat the oven to 210°F (100°C).
2. In the bowl of the heavy-duty mixer, whisk the egg whites at low speed until frothy, about 20 seconds. Add the cream of tartar. Gradually increase the speed and whisk until just before the stiff peak stage, 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat or the whites may begin break down and become lumpy. Slowly add about 3/4 cup (150 g) of the sugar to the stiffened whites, a tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the mixture becomes thick and satiny.
3. Remove the mixer bowl from its stand. Add the remaining sugar and gently fold it into the whites: With the rubber spatula or metal spoon, cut through the egg whites and sugar with the side edge of the spoon or spatula until you reach the bottom of the bowl, then draw the spoon along the bottom of the bowl. Turn your wrist to bring the spoon up the side of the bowl, lightly bringing the egg whites from the bottom to the top, and as you do so turn the bowl about 45 degrees and lightly overturn the spoon to gently fold the whites on top of the sugar. Turning the bowl as you fold will help the sugar to be incorporated more efficiently. Continue cutting into the mixture and folding until just incorporated. Always work slowly and gently. Do not be tempted to overmix and unnecessarily knock extra air out of the mixture. If necessary, err on the side of underfolding.
4. Using a few small dabs of the meringue as glue, stick the baking parchment to the baking sheet. Fold back the wide, open end of the pastry bag and fill the bag with the meringue. Unfold the open end of the bag, twist it closed, and pipe the meringue into about sixty 1-1/2-inch (4 cm) disks. With a demitasse spoon, place a small dollop of lemon curd in the center of each disk, so that it resembles a poached egg. Using the piping bag again, cover the curd with meringue, creating a circular cone that spirals upward to a peak.
5. Bake the meringues for 1-1/2 hours, switching the two baking sheets halfway through the cooking time. Remove from the oven immediately. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream. These are best eaten the day they are made.
VARIATION: Use any fruit curd in place of the lemon curd, such as orange or lime.