These melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Lemon Pavlova Nests are light, elegant, and an incredibly easy to make summer dessert.
Crispy on the outside, but fluffy, marshmallow-like and soft on the inside, topped with whipped cream and juicy strawberries make the perfect summer dessert.
This meringue-based dessert is believed to have been created in honor of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.
INGREDIENTS
Lemon meringue
- 6 large egg whites, room temp
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon extract
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
Filling
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 2 ½ tbsp powdered sugar
Topping
- 4-5 cups fresh strawberries
- small mint leaves, for garnish, optional
Tip: Make sure the bowl and whisk being used are perfectly clean and grease-free. Grease prevents the egg whites from whipping up properly. Wipe it down with either vinegar or lemon juice.
METHOD
- Preheat your oven to 200°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper previously traced with 10 3-inch circles (I used a coffee mug rim for tracing).
- Separate your egg whites into a bowl. Start beating on low speed then increase speed to medium-high until the egg whites become frothy.
- Gradually add in the granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, and beat until you reach the stiff peak stage and until the sugar has dissolved (this may take 5-10 minutes).
- Using a spatula, fold in lemon juice and lemon extract for extra flavor.
Tip: Adding acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or white vinegar to the egg foam stabilizes the egg whites and makes the meringue sturdier.
- Transfer meringue onto the parchment paper circles using a spoon or spatula and create 10 small nest shapes. Using a teaspoon, I created vertical spools around my nests.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and allow the nests to cool in the oven for a minimum of 3 hours, or overnight, without opening the door.
Tip: Assemble your Pavlova nests just before serving since the whipped cream and strawberries will dissolve the meringue.
- Before serving your strawberry lemon Pavlova nests whip the cold cream and powdered sugar for about 2 minutes, until thick and smooth.
- Fill the nests with the cream and top with fresh strawberries. Garnish with small mint leaves.
Enjoy!
Tip: You can store your unassembled Pavlova nests in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you’ve made these Strawberry Lemon Pavlova Nests recipe don’t forget to let me know how you got on in the comments below!
