These light and fruity blackberry meringues topped with whipped cream and lemon curd are an elevated dessert perfect for a backyard BBQ or summer party.
These blackberry meringues are my ideal summer dessert. They're light as air, slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and sweet on the inside. And they're swirled with blackberry preserves for a sweet-tart flavor and beautiful, deep purple ripple through the meringue.
I'll let you in on a little secret: some of my meringues cracked a little bit. Hey, it happens. Meringue can be a little tricky. But this recipe rocks because you're topping the meringue with sweet whipped cream and tangy lemon curd anyway, so no one will ever know if your meringue isn't 100% perfect!
Before you get started baking, one important thing to know is that the meringue has to cool and then rest in the oven for 12 hours after it bakes. Meringue is high maintenance like that. So these blackberry meringues require a bit of planning ahead, but they are SO delicious and SO worth it!
Whatever you do, do not open the oven door while the meringue is in the oven, since sudden temperature changes will cause the meringue to crack.
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Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Egg Whites - Whipped egg whites are the basis of meringue. Let your egg whites come to room temperature before whipping, since they'll be easier to whip and reach stiff peak stage more quickly.
Cornstarch - Combining a bit of cornstarch with the sugar helps to absorb any excess liquid, stopping the meringue from weeping.
Cream of Tartar - Cream of tartar adds a bit of acid to the mixture, which helps to stabilize the meringue. Some meringue recipes use other acids like vinegar or lemon juice, but I prefer cream of tartar so you're not adding extra liquid to the mixture.
Blackberry Preserves - A bit of blackberry preserves are swirled into the meringue.
Lemon Curd - I paired lemon curd with fresh whipped cream to top the meringues. I love homemade lemon curd, but store bought works just fine here, too.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a whisk and baking sheet), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A stand mixer with the whisk attachment, for mixing the meringue. It's difficult to whip the egg whites sufficiently with an electric hand mixer, so I recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Make the meringue. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.
Step 2: In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until foamy.
Step 3: Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until blended. Then slowly add the sugar mixture one Tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture becomes glossy. Add vanilla and beat until blended.
Tip: Test the meringue by turning off the mixer and lifting the whisk upward. If the meringue forms a peak with a tip that remains upright (like in the photo above), you've reached the "stiff peaks" stage. If the tip is bent over, keep beating the meringue.
Step 4: Scoop one quarter of the blackberry preserves and drop small amounts over the top of the meringue. Drag a spoon in a zig-zag pattern through the meringue so that the blackberry preserves are swirled into the top layer of meringue.
Step 5: Scoop two portions of meringue off the top and place onto the baking sheet. Made an indentation in the middle of each with the back of a spoon. Repeat the process of swirling the blackberry preserves into the meringue and scooping the meringue onto the baking sheet until you have eight meringues.
Step 6: Bake the meringues at 225°F until the outsides are slightly golden and have formed a crust, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the meringues stand in the oven for 12 hours.
Step 7: Just before you're ready to assemble the meringues, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, beat the cream and confectioner's sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Step 8: Assemble the meringues. Remove the baking sheet from the cooled oven and gently remove the meringues from the parchment paper using a spatula. Scoop a spoonful of whipped cream into the center of each meringue, then scoop a bit of lemon curd on top. Garnish with blackberries and mint leaves.
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Recipe
Blackberry Meringues with Whipped Cream and Lemon Curd
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
Blackberry Meringues:
- 1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (7 grams) cornstarch
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 gram) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (85 grams) blackberry preserves
Toppings:
- 1 cup (227 grams) heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1 Tablespoon (7 grams) confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup (57 grams) lemon curd
- 8 fresh blackberries for garnish (optional)
- 8 mint sprigs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the meringue.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Set aside.1 cup (198 grams) granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon (7 grams) cornstarch
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy, about one minute.4 large egg whites
- Add cream of tartar and salt and beat until blended.¼ teaspoon (1 gram) cream of tartar, ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 gram) salt
- Reduce speed to medium and gradually add the sugar mixture one Tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture becomes glossy, about one to two minutes.
- Add vanilla and beat until blended.¼ teaspoon (1 grams) vanilla extract
- Scoop one quarter of the blackberry preserves and drop small amounts over the top of the meringue. Drag a spoon in a zig-zag pattern through the meringue so that the blackberry preserves are swirled into the top layer of meringue.¼ cup (85 grams) blackberry preserves
- Scoop two portions of meringue (about 3 Tablespoons each) off the top and place onto the baking sheet. Made an indentation in the middle of each with the back of a spoon. Repeat the process of swirling the blackberry preserves into the meringue and scooping the meringue onto the baking sheet until you have eight meringues.
- Bake the meringues until the outsides are slightly golden and have formed a crust, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the meringues stand in the oven for 12 hours.
Make the whipped cream.
- Just before you're ready to assemble the meringues, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, beat the cream and confectioner's sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.1 cup (227 grams) heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon (7 grams) confectioners' sugar
Assemble the meringues.
- Remove the baking sheet from the cooled oven and gently remove the meringues from the parchment paper using a spatula. Scoop a spoonful of whipped cream into the center of each meringue, then scoop a bit of lemon curd (about half a Tablespoon) on top. Garnish with blackberries and mint leaves. Serve immediately.¼ cup (57 grams) lemon curd, 8 fresh blackberries, 8 mint sprigs
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips
Make sure your bowl is clean and grease free before whipping the egg whites. Any grease in the bowl (or bit of yolk in the egg whites) will cause the whites to not whip properly.
Be sure to whip the egg whites well before adding the other ingredients to the meringue. Under-whipping the egg whites will make it difficult to achieve stiff peaks in the meringue.
For the best texture, avoid making meringue on a humid day. The humidity can cause the meringue to become sticky rather than crisp on the outside.
Storage Instructions
Meringue is best enjoyed after it has baked and cooled, since its outer "shell" can lose its crispness, especially if exposed to humid air.
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