March 31, 2015
Easter is less than a week away? Wow, that was quick! In typical fashion, I’m not prepared whatsoever for my annual Easter Brunch. Scrambling to put my menu together while simultaneously packing for our Spring Break trip I remembered these meringues from the festivities last year.
Adorable meringue eggs filled with tangerine curd were an absolute hit on the dessert table. My oldest daughter said she would trade her chocolate cupcake for an egg meringue any day, that is truly saying something. We all love the sweet crunch of the meringue matched with the tangy creaminess of the curd. The tangerine juice in the curd gives a fresh-from-farm egg yolk color that is just beautiful.
Or there’s always coconut cake…
These are pretty straightforward to make. Yes, there are a few steps, but thankfully most can be done in advance so you aren’t scrambling too much on party day. Happy Easter, friends!
Egg Meringues with Tangerine Curd
Meringue Eggs:
Makes three dozen
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup superfine sugar
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Oil a large piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Put the egg whites, sugar, corn starch and vinegar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk at the highest speed for 5 minutes until soft, white peaks form. Spoon into piping bag fitted with a large tip (804 tip — it’s big!). Pipe small egg-shaped ovals onto the parchment. Start with the center and move outward, circling twice around the perimeter to create a frame for your “egg yolk.”
Bake for one hour at 200°F. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed, and allow the meringue to cool completely in the oven, about one hour. It will be crisp on the outside and somewhat soft on the inside.
Can be made two days in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Assemble with curd on the day of the party.
To assemble your eggs: Spoon the tangerine curd into a piping bag and squeeze about 2 teaspoons of curd into the middle of each base.
Tangerine Curd:
Makes about 2 1⁄2 cups
1⁄2 cup fresh tangerine juice
1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
In 3-quart nonreactive saucepan, heat the tangerine juice, lemon juice, and butter over medium-high heat until just under a boil. In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks and then slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Gradually whisk the hot lemon juice mixture into the sugar and eggs.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently, until the curd thickens and coats the spoon, about five to seven minutes. Draw your finger along the back of the spoon; when the curd is done, it should hold the trail.
Remove the curd from the heat and strain it through a fine sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla and salt. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic onto the surface of the curd, and chill for at least 1 to 2 hours before using. I recommend making this at least a day or two ahead of time to cut down on day of cooking time. The curd will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
