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–+ servings
Lemon blueberry mini pavlova nests. Melt in your mouth meringue, soft whipped cream, lemon curd and plenty of blueberries make this a summertime dessert dream! Recipe by movers and bakers
5 from 1 vote

Lemon Blueberry Mini Pavlova Nests

Adorable individual desserts with all the bright and beautiful flavours of lemon and blueberry!
Servings 8 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cool Time 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the mini pavlovas

  • 3 large egg whites
  • pinch salt
  • 175 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cream of tartar

For the filling and finishing

  • 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) double (heavy) cream
  • 1 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 10-15 tbsp lemon curd (depending on your preferences)
  • 150 g (¾ cup + 3 tbsp) blueberries

Instructions

To make the mini pavlova nests

  • Draw eight 3"-4" circles on a piece of parchment paper. Flip it over, so the drawn on side is face down. Use some tape to stick the paper to the baking tray then set it aside. Preheat the oven to 120C/250F.
  • Before you start making the mini meringue nests, clean out the mixing bowl throughly. Give it a quick wipe over with a few drops of lemon juice (see notes for why). Tip egg whites, salt and cream of tartar into the clean bowl, whisking at medium speed for a few minutes until foamy.
  • With the mixer on medium-high speed, slowly add in the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Beat for about 10 seconds between additions, to help ensure all the sugar has been incorporated and is dissolved. Keep mixing until the meringue mixture forms stiff peaks and is smooth and glossy. This takes me about 7-8 minutes in total.

Shaping the pavlova

  • Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe, starting in the middle of one of the drawn circles, spiralling out to the edge to fill the base. Then pipe a wall of meringue just up the outside edge of the circle, about 3 levels tall. Repeat with the rest of the mixture to create eight nests.
  • Place the baking tray in the oven, and immediately turn the oven down to 100C/210F. Bake for 50 minutes, then turn the oven off leaving the door shut. Leave the nests to cool completely without opening the oven door, ideally overnight.

Assemble the pavlova

  • When ready to assemble, place the double cream in a mixing bowl with the icing sugar and vanilla. Beat this together until it reaches soft peaks.
  • Layer the whipped cream and lemon curd for pavlova in the mini pavlova nests. Finish with a drizzle of curd and some blueberries to top the nests. Add an optional sprig of mint for decoration, if you wish. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Make sure the mixing bowl is thoroughly clean and grease free before beating the egg whites up. Grease inhibits the egg whites from whipping up, so you will not be able to get it mixed up to bake into a pavlova.
  • Separate the eggs carefully, as any egg yolks will have a similar effect as grease, and prevent the egg whites from whipping up.
  • When adding sugar to the egg white mixture, add it a spoonful at a time. This allows the sugar to be properly incorporated with the egg whites and dissolve into the mixture. This is important to give a smooth and not grainy pavlova.
  • A great (and rather bold!) way to test if the egg whites ready is to turn the bowl upside down (over your head if you are REALLY brave!). If they are beaten to stiff peaks, the pavlova mixture will remain in the bowl and not fall out. If they are not, they will slide out. Do it slowly so you can check, and also so you can avoid the mess and clean up in case they are not ready yet!
  • After baking the mini pavlova nests, it is really important you do NOT to open the oven door. Opening the door will change the temperature of the oven really quickly, resulting in cracks in the nests. This is why it is vital to leave them to cool completely in the oven once baked. Leaving them to cool in the oven overnight is ideal so they can cool slowly.
  • Make the whipped cream filling a few hours before you need it and pop it into the refrigerator until required. This makes it much more convenient to bring the whole lemon blueberry meringue together quickly.
  • Remember you must serve the blueberry meringues as soon as you have assembled them.
    • Author: Andrea
    Calories: 201kcal
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Australia/New Zealand, British
    Keyword: Easy Summer Berry Pavlova Recipe, Individual Meringue Nests with Lemon Curd, Lemon Blueberry Mini Pavlova Nests, Mini Lemon and Blueberry Meringues

    Nutrition

    Calories: 201kcal