Pavlova Cups with Basil Lime Cream, Fresh Berries
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The Secret Recipe Club was quite helpful this July 4th as I served beautiful Meringue Cups (which I call pavlova) with lime cream and freshly picked blueberries.
Each month, I am the secret recipe club assigns the members another member’s blog to choose This month I was blessed with Kim’s blog, Everyday Mom . She has enjoyed cooking since she’s five years old and now she cooks for her three children passing down her passion. As I browsed Everyday Mom, I made my mind up quickly, happy to find a recipe I could turn into a red white and blue July 4th dessert. The recipe adapted this recipe from another blog, which was her secret recipe back in May 2012.
Kim especially liked this because she could make it with her kids, showing them how to separate eggs, etc. She notes a very important rule for separating egg whites. Always use 3 bowls when separating eggs. Each egg white must go into a separate bowl before it’s incorporated into the larger mix just in case the egg doesn’t break correctly. Not knowing this simple trick could be very frustrating. I decided to use a double boiler because the first time I attempted the lime curd, it burned too easily and I had to make it over.
I often use herbs in desserts. The basil in the lime is my own twist. I have it growing rampant in my garden and it’s finding its way into several recipes. I served two desserts on July 4th and both incorporated herbs from my garden.
These are easy to make, and the best part is that they can be made a few days ahead and even assembled several hours in advance. The recipe uses the egg whites for the meringue cups and uses the egg yolks for a basil lime curd which is then mixed with fresh whipped cream. Berries top it off and these are blueberries I picked myself at the Golden Bell Blueberry Farm behind my house.
This is how the pavlova cups look prior to baking. I used a piping bag. They are baked for two hours in a very low heated oven of 225 degrees.
It rained July 4th, and these served to cheer everyone up. When they were on a white flat platter, they made a very pretty presentation, but it was too dark by the time we ate them and I couldn’t get a nice picture.
Pavlova Cups with Basil Lime Cream, Fresh Berries
Ingredients
Pavlova Cups
- parchment paper
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- dash salt
- 1 cup super fine sugar
Lime Cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 4 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
- 4 fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Pavlova Cups
- Beat egg whites until foamy
- Add in cream of tarter, salt and sugar
- Beat on high until stiff and resembles marshmallow cream
- Using parchment paper, draw 3 1/2 inch cirlces
- Turn parchment paper over and using template, pipe meringue starting in center. Do a double piping on outside to form cup.
- Bake at 225 for two hours. Cool completely. These are best made several hours before serving, up to a few days.
Lime Cream
- Make lime curd. zest limes. Set zest aside.
- Whip eggs and sugar until frothy. Use a double boiler and put egg mixture in top pot over simmering water. Add in butter and lime juice. Cook stirring constantly until the lime curd coats the back of a spoon.
- Add in basil. Cool completely.
- Prior to serving, mix heavy whipping cream until stiff.
- Remove basil leaves. Mix into the lime curd. Refrigerate.
- Mix whipping cream, lime zest and lime curd together to make the cream. If not using right away, refrigerate.
Assembly
- Place lime cream in center of meringue cup. Top with Berries, garnish with basil.
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I made the lemon curd part of this! Best thing ever-great recipe!
Oh thank you. Now you must one day make the pavlova part. So good together. Glad you enjoyed.
Such an elegant dessert!
G’day! I love a good pav, true!
Yours (based on your piping and photos looks VERY yum and could go for some now too!
Cheers! Joanne
Joanne
I just love that “G’day.”
You must throw one very high brow ‘fourthajuly’. I stayed in the pool for dessert and someone brought me a popsicle. Not a home made popsicle either. GREG
Oh, Greg, that’s too funny. You need popsicles in Palm Springs.
These are simply gorgeous! What a wonderful summer dessert. I adore pairing herbs with desserts, especially basil. It’s my favorite. So these lovely pavolva cups are right up my alley. Bookmarked!!
These are so pretty! Lovely pavolvas – love that fresh fruit on top!
Angela,
It is my Most favorite dessert! It looks Great!
These are absolutely gorgeous, I just love your photos. I love pavlova’s but have not attempted them in my kitchen yet and I think that needs to change. Great pick!
I haven’t made or eaten pavlovas yet; they are beautiful! The lime curd sounds so good and I love how you added basil to it. They berries make them very festive!
Beautiful! My raspberries haven’t been making it much farther than from the bush to my mouth, but maybe I’ll restrain myself long enough to bring them inside and top some pavlovas…
Stephanie, I totally understand, which is why we are going berry picking again tomorrow.
these are just gorgeous!
Oh how pretty! I bet these are just delicious!
Perfect summer recipe and also perfect for the 4th of July. Great SRC pick 🙂
So pretty! I’ve been meaning to make something like this for a while now.
What a great idea to do these with lime cream – they look delicious!
You had me at the word pavlova. Looks delicious and fresh! 🙂
Very pretty and surely divine! A great summer dessert.
Cheers,
Rosa
I love how summery and light these are – perfect for hot weather. And great tip on separating the eggs – thanks to you and Kim for the tip!
What a gorgeous patriotic dessert!
We absolutely LOVE pavlovas. Mine are always so abstract looking. I think I’ll have to pipe them next time. Beautiful job. Thanks for sharing with the SRC.
Camilla, I think I could have done a prettier job too. I think this is a practice thing.
I have made pavlova cups recently, too–so delicious. Love the basil lime cream in yours! And the fresh berries–perfect!