Apricot Curd Lemon Basil Meringues

Dear friends, I bring you little pieces of sunshine in the shape of meringues! Don’t they look like summer on a plate?

This treat is super easy to make and requires VERY little (and very low temp) baking time, that way you won’t sweat your face off while making them. I love apricots on anything, and right now you can find some very lovely ones at the farmers market, I find it’s a super short window of opportunity so we better make the most of it. The sweetness of the apris (totally made that word now) goes SO WELL with the tartness of the lemon and the fragrant touch of basil. I used lemon basil (which I also got from the farmers market) but thai basil can work too.

Bonus points: This curd doesn’t use egg to thicken, too much egg in the whites already. Instead I used cornstarch which works just as well.

If you want to go the extra mile, serve with a side of vanilla ice cream! Now, let’s get baked, mmkay?

Apricot Curd Lemon Basil Meringues
Serves 8-10
Print the recipe here

Ingredients:

*For the meringues:
– 2 tablespoons cornstarch
– 6 large egg whites at room temperature
– Pinch of cream of tartar
– 1 cup super fine (or extra fine) sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

See meringue tips below!

*For the Apricot curd:
– 1 ½ cups apricot, sliced
– Zest of half lemon
– Juice of 1 lemon
– ¼ cup sugar
– 1 tablespoon honey
– ½ cup coconut milk solids (scoop the solids from the can and leave the liquid out, you can leave the can in the fridge for about 2 hours to make this process easier).
– 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Fresh lemon basil (or thai basil if you can’t find the latter) and icing sugar to decorate.

Meringue tips:
– Make sure your egg whites are at room temp!
– No greasy utensils whatsoever, wash your bowl and whisk if needed and dry completely, meringues can’t handle moisture at all.
– Don’t add salt! (unlike common belief) It actually makes it harder for the whites to rise
– Be patient and spoon the sugar into the egg whites as you beat them, don’t dump the whole thing or you’ll deflate it.
– When baking, keep a close eye on them as each oven is different
– Cooked meringues will last around 3 days if stored in an airtight container – Vancouver is SUPER HUMID so this rule is totally useless and you gotta eat them the day of haha.
– Corn starch in the meringue helps getting rid of moisture, so don’t omit it

Instructions:

1. Make the meringues: Preheat the oven at 200F. Start beating your egg whites in a clean bowl, add the pinch of cream of tartar and continue to beat until you reach soft peaks – at this point you’ll add a bit of the corn starch + a few spoons of sugar. Alternate between those two until you finish them and the whites are stiff (hold their shape when lifted) and glossy. I suggest to beat slowly when incorporating the sugar so you don’t collapse them. Give one last swirl and incorporate the vanilla.

2. Spoon the glossy whites in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a spoon to scoop them and flatten the top to create a nest-like shape. Place tray in the oven bake for about 5 min, then turn the oven off and let them in there until oven is cool (about 40 minutes). Make sure to rotate the tray every 10 min. Once they’re dry, remove them from the oven, if needed, reheat for another 5 minutes to finish off. Just be careful not to go too hot or you’ll brown them. Set cooked meringues aside.

3. In a heavy bottom pot place all the curd ingredients EXCEPT for the cornstarch and coconut milk. Cook over medium heat until fruit starts to break down and gets jammy. Once it has thickened (about 10 minutes), get the cornstarch and dissolve it in a small dish with a splash of water, then add it to the fruit mix and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let everything cool. Once it’s cool place mix in a blender and add the coconut milk, blend on high speed until smooth and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Assemble:

Get your meringues, sprinkle some icing sugar on them, then scoop some of the curd on top along with a few leaves of thai basil. Add extra slices of apricot as garnish and voila! You’re set. Enjoy!