Strawberry-lemon Meringue Nests

Total Time: 3 hrs 5 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 large lemons
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or 6 tablespoons unsalted margarine
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 pint strawberry, each hulled and cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon strawberry preserves
• mint leaf (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 prepare lemon-curd:.
• 2 from lemons, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 1/2 cup juice.
• 3 in 2-quart saucepan, with wire whisk, mix cornstarch, lemon peel, and lemon juice until smooth.
• 4 add butter and 3/4 cup sugar; heat to boiling over medium heat.
• 5 boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• 6 in small bowl, beat egg yolks slightly.
• 7 into yolks, beat small amount of hot lemon mixture; pour egg mixture back into lemon mixture in saucepan, beating rapidly to prevent lumping.
• 8 reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, about 5 minutes.
• 9 pour lemon curd into medium bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or until well chilled. (lemon curd can be refrigerated up to 3 days.).
• 10 prepare meringue nests:.
• 11 preheat oven to 225ºf.
• 12 line large cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment. (i have found that using parchment paper is better).
• 13 in small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
• 14 sprinkle in 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar dissolves and whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks.
• 15 spoon meringue into 6 mounds on cookie sheet.
• 16 with back of spoon, form a well in center of each mound to create a nest.
• 17 bake nests 2 1/2 hours.
• 18 turn off oven and let nests remain in oven 1 hour to dry out.
• 19 cool nests on cookie sheet on wire rack.
• 20 if not using right away, store in airtight containers.
• 21 just before serving, in small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat heavy or whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• 22 gently fold whipped cream into lemon curd.
• 23 in medium bowl, toss strawberries with preserves.
• 24 spoon lemon-curd mixture into meringue nests.
• 25 top with strawberry mixture.
• 26 garnish with mint.