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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Vanilla Clouds with Lemon Cream

Meringues are a lovely light and elegant way to finish any meal and they are so easy to make. I call them vanilla clouds for the obvious reason that that’s exactly what they resemble – beautiful white clouds that are crisp on the outside and deliciously soft and chewy in the middle. This is my classic recipe for meringues which I always use – I just vary the toppings. For this lovely light Spring version the meringues are topped with soft and perfectly whipped cream rippled with lemon curd and a little limoncello – delicious!


4 egg whites
225g/ 8oz caster (superfine) sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp white vinegar
few drops of vanilla extract

250ml double or whipping cream
½ – 1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp lemon curd
1 tbsp limoncello
Preheat the oven to 225F/ 110C. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
In a very clean mixing bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff (you should be able to hold them over your head and they won’t fall out!). Slowly add in the sugar and continue to whisk until they are very stiff and glossy. Sift in the cornflour then add the vinegar and vanilla and carefully fold in.
Using a large metal spoon carefully put spoonfuls of the meringue onto the baking sheets making sure to leave room in between each one. Using the back of the spoon, swirl the meringues slightly so they resemble beautiful, bright white clouds.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes until they are crisp on the outside and lift easily from the parchment paper. Turn the oven off then leave the meringues to cool completely before removing.
Just before serving whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. In a small bowl mix together the lemon curd and limoncello until well mixed and the lemon curd has thinned a little. Add ¾ of the lemon curd mixture to the cream and gently fold through.
When ready to serve put the meringues onto a large serving plate then spoon the cream mixture over the top. Drizzle over the last of the lemon curd and using the end of a spoon gently cut through the cream to create a ripple effect. Serve at once for a deliciously light and zesty dessert.
*If you like, scatter over some fresh raspberries for an extra special touch.



23 comments:

  1. Meringues are totally the perfect spring treat! Just sweet enough, but not too heavy. Love the addition of lemon cream.

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  2. Thanks! I totally agree - the perfect way to end a meal : )

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  3. YUM! My mom made a dessert like this...one big meringue, though...I loved it! Will have to try your gorgeous version!

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  4. They DO look like vanilla clouds! So pretty, I'm sure they're delicious!

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  5. YUMMMMMMYYYYY!!!! Looks so good Lynds xxx

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  6. I just happen to have four egg whites left over and waiting to be used. These look so pretty and I am definitely coveting your cake stand.

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  7. These look so pretty and elegant :) And I loooove your cake stand!

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  8. Thanks everyone!

    Lizzy - You could use the lemon cream with either lots of meringues or one big Pavlova. I also love Pavlovas - I'm sure there will be lots appearing over the summer as well as my Vanilla Clouds! I'm delighted that you like it : )

    As for my cake stand - I have to agree - i LOVE it!!! I have a thing for cakestands! I think if I didn't really restrain myself I would have somewhat of a cakestand collection! So far I have 4 but I'm thinking it might be time to add...can you have too many cakestands??!!

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  9. Gorgeous dessert. I forgot how lovely meringues look.....not to mention the taste...nom!

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  10. So pretty! Meringue is a new thing to me, and these just look perfect!

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  11. This is beautiful. I love meringues, and lemon curd -- yummy :)

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  12. Thank you all for such lovely comments!

    Erin - you should totally give them a try - they are so easy to make (providing you have an electric mixer of some sort!!) and taste wonderful!

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  13. These look SOOO beautiful! The pop of yellow from the lemon curd is just awesome. Thanks for the recipe, I'll hopefully be making these soon :)

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  14. Lemon curd AND limoncello! What a divine combination with the sweetness of meringues.

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  15. I think I need to give meringues a second chance. Love the lemony goodness in this!

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  16. Yum.....Not only do they look great but sound even better

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  17. Love the texture of these in the photos, they look luscious. An elegant summer treat indeed. Guess I need to pull out that big bottle of lemoncello. Glad I looked in on this.

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  18. they look delicious, lovely recipe nice in the Summer too. Mmmmmmm

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  19. I love meringues but haven't had too much success with them. Your recipe looks easy enough to give it a try. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Joanne

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  20. Thanks everyone! If you give them a go, let me know - I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Have a great weekend : )

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  21. these look absolutely delicious!

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