Crisp Meringue Nest with Homemade Orange Curd Cream and Fresh Fruit
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Cook time: 
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Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
For the meringue nest:
  • 180g (or ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) granulated sugar
  • 3 large egg whites (about ⅓ cup + 4 teaspoons in total)
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the orange curd:
  • 90ml (or ⅓ cup + 2 teaspoons) heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 2 large oranges)
  • 120ml (or ½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice (from the same 2 oranges)
  • 100g (or ½ cup) granulated sugar, divided
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 90g (or ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon) cold unsalted butter, cubed
To serve:
  • 480ml (or 2 cups) heavy whipping cream
  • granulated sugar to taste
  • fresh fruit, such as redcurrants or strawberries
  • chocolate eggs
Instructions
First make the meringue nests:
  1. Preheat oven to 390°F (standard oven setting) and adjust oven rack to middle position. Line a deep baking sheet with baking parchment.
  2. Pour the sugar onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to melt.
  3. While the sugar is in the oven, add the egg whites to a medium-sized bowl. Make sure both the bowl and the mixer's whisk attachments are completely free of any grease.
  4. Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.
  5. By now, the sugar should be ready. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 210°F.
  6. Add the hot sugar to the egg whites one spoonful at a time, mixing continuously. Once all the sugar has been added, keep mixing until the meringue holds stiff peaks and you no longer feel sugar crystals when you rub a bit of meringue between your fingers (this should take about 5-8 minutes).
  7. Add the vanilla and mix briefly to make sure the meringue still holds stiff peaks. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and line a baking sheet with baking parchment, using a dollop of meringue to stick the parchment to the sheet.
  8. Pipe 6-8 nests. First, pipe a 3-inch round spiral base, then pipe two to three circles on top of the outer edge of the base, spiraling upwards to create an edge of meringue.
  9. Bake the meringue nests for 2½ to 4 hours, depending on the humidity. The resulting meringues should be light, crisp and you should be able to easily remove them from the baking parchment. When tapped, they should sound hollow. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Once the meringues are in the oven, make the orange curd:
  1. Combine the cream, zest, juice and half the sugar in a medium-sized saucepan. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar and the yolks until foamy. Place a fine-meshed strainer over another medium-sized bowl and set aside.
  2. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture reaches scalding point, remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully drizzle the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking the yolk mixture continuously to prevent the yolks from scrambling.
  3. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. After 5-10 minutes, the foam will dissipate and the mixture will thicken so it coats the back of a spoon. If you’re using a sugar thermometer, it will register about 165°F at this point.
  4. Take the pan off the heat and immediately pour the orange curd through the strainer into the prepared bowl. Using a clean whisk, whisk in the cold butter, a few cubes at a time. Once the orange curd is smooth, press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto its surface to prevent a skin from forming and allow to cool completely.
To assemble:
  1. In a large bowl, whip the cream with sugar to taste until it holds stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the orange curd into the cream, creating a swirl effect.
  2. Right before serving, spoon the orange curd cream into the meringue nests, add a few chocolate eggs and some fresh fruit, such as redcurrants or other berries, and serve immediately.
  3. You may have some leftover filling. Serve it alongside the filled nest, so your guest can help themselves to more.
  4. Meringue nests can be made up to 5 days ahead. Store them in an airtight container until needed. Orange curd can also be made up to 5 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.
Recipe by The Tough Cookie at https://thetoughcookie.com/2015/04/08/crisp-meringue-nest-with-homemade-orange-curd-cream-and-fresh-fruit/