Pavlovas with Blueberries and Lemon Curd

With Meg's mixer available I no longer had an excuse for not attempting pavlovas. Over the years, I bookmarked at least 3 variations but I chose this one for my first try. I used cream of tartar instead of vinegar and made the 9 individual servings. The instructions were very simple and the meringue came together in a snap.

I can't begin to imagine hand beating the meringue, although in June I did manage to get egg whites to stiff peaks for a souffle once. I know I did it correctly as I turned the bowl upside down over my head without anything dropping on me or the floor. However, the whites fell quickly in my hot apartment and the souffle was a little, um, flat and heavy. You didn't get to see that.

The pavlova's were a greater success than the souffle. They were appropriately crisp outside and soft like a marshmallow inside. The only part that didn't go quite right was that they cracked. I suppose knowing my oven, setting a timer to check them before an hour and not getting distracted with a movie would prevent this issue in the future. By the way, this is not a dessert to bake and take with you. It does NOT travel well. The crumbles still taste delicious but don't have nearly the same effect as a full pavlova as you can see below.

I made this lemon curd to top them. I somehow skipped printing the middle paragraph, but managed to have the curd turn out delicious anyway. Its sweet, tart taste and smooth texture contrast perfectly with blueberries alone or on top of a pavlova. I'm happy to eat it by the spoonful and, unfortunately, have done so.