These light and airy meringue Easter baskets are filled with lemon curd, green coloured coconut flakes as grass, and some mini chocolate eggs. This is a creative and fun project to do for Easter!
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🧺Baskets Made with Meringue
I love baking meringue, but for some reason, I don't have any recipes on my website yet. These meringue Easter baskets are really easy to make, but do have a few steps. It starts with making meringue nests and the meringue basket handles. While those are baking, make a simple lemon curd that will be filled into the baked baskets.
For the "grass" mix green food colouring and coconut flakes together. Also whip up a quick, one bowl, royal icing to glue the handles to the baskets. While there are a few steps to this recipe, the meringue, lemon curd and coconut flakes can all be made up a day ahead.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Green food colouring - I used gel food colouring to dye the coconut flakes. I don't suggest using liquid food colouring because it will make the coconut flakes soggy.
- Coconut flakes - Make sure you use flakes and not shredded coconut. The flakes look more like grass.
- Lemons - Use real lemons in this recipe for the lemon curd. You need the zest anyways.
- Mini chocolate eggs - Use whichever brand you preferred. I used Cadbury in this recipe because they are more colourful than other brands.
🔪Instructions
Meringue Basket
Draw 2 inch circles on the backsides of two large pieces of parchment paper. Place the parchment papers in each large baking sheet. Make sure the drawn circles are on the underside.
Whip egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until frothy. Add sugar a bit at a time while mixing. Mix until all the sugar is incorporated and egg whites reach stiff peaks.
Add meringue to a large piping bag with a large star piping tip. Pipe meringue into a circle and fill, following the circle template you made earlier. Then pipe the basket sides by piping around 3 or 4 times.
Pipe the basket handles on the next baking sheet. Pipe arches following the circle pattern for the arcs. Bake for 1 hour at 200°F (90°C), then turn off the oven and let them cool slowly in the oven for 20 minutes. This helps prevent cracking.
Remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to assemble.
Lemon Curd
Add egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a double broiler, or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. Whisk until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. It will be 170°F (77°C) when ready.
Remove from heat, add butter, and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This can be made a day or 2 in advance.
Coconut Grass
Add coconut flakes to a large ziplock bag. Add a drop of green food colouring. Zip the bag closed and message the food colouring into the coconut flakes. Add more drops of green food colouring until you get a grass shade colour.
Royal Icing
Add egg white and cream of tartar to a medium sized bowl. Add a bit of powdered sugar at a time until the icing is thick, but dippable. Cover and set aside at room temperature until you are ready to assemble.
Assembly
Using the royal icing, "glue" the basket handles to the baskets. You will need to hold the handle in place for a minute until the royal icing starts to set.
Add lemon curd into the cavity of the baskets. Top with green coconut flakes and add 3 mini chocolate eggs to each basket.
✔️Expert Tips
- You can "glue" the handles on the baskets the day before serving. Store covered at room temperature.
- The lemon curd can be made several days in advance.
- Add lemon curd, coconut, and mini eggs right before serving.
- Instead of lemon curd, use buttercream or pastry cream.
💭FAQs
You can make the lemon curd a few days in advance. The meringue baskets can be made a day ahead, as well as the green coconut flakes.
I don't suggest freezing meringue anything due to the chance of moisture forming. Feel free to half this recipe if you think this will be too much. However, I do suggest making some extras in case handles break.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Meringue Easter Baskets
Ingredients
Meringue Baskets
- 6 large egg whites room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
Lemon Curd
- 2 large egg yolks
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Coconut Grass
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- green food colouring
Royal Icing
- 1 large egg white
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup mini chocolate eggs
Instructions
Meringue Baskets
- Preheat oven to 200°F (90°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Draw 2 inch circles on the underside of the parchment papers. Set aside.
- Whip egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until frothy.
- Add sugar a bit at a time while mixing. Mix until all the sugar is incorporated and egg whites reach stiff peaks.
- Add meringue to a large piping bag with a large star piping tip. Pipe meringue into a circle and fill, following the circle template you made earlier.
- Then pipe the basket sides by piping around 3 or 4 times.
- Pipe the basket handles on the next baking sheet. Pipe arches following the circle pattern for the arcs.
- Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let them cool slowly in the oven for 20 minutes. This helps prevent cracking.
- Remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to assemble.
Lemon Curd
- Add egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a double broiler, or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water.
- Whisk until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. It will be 170°F (77°C) when ready.
- Remove from heat, add butter, and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This can be made a day or 2 in advance.
Coconut Grass
- Add coconut flakes to a large ziplock bag. Add a drop of green food colouring. Zip the bag closed and message the food colouring into the coconut flakes. Add more drops of green food colouring until you get a grass shade colour.
- Set aside until you are ready to assemble. This can be done a day ahead.
Royal Icing
- Add egg white and cream of tartar to a medium sized bowl. Add a bit of powdered sugar at a time until the icing is thick, but dippable. Cover and set aside at room temperature until you are ready to assemble.
Assembly
- Using the royal icing, "glue" the basket handles to the baskets. You will need to hold the handle in place for a minute until the royal icing starts to set.
- Let the baskets sit for at least 20 minutes to make sure the handles are set in place before continuing to decorate.
- Add lemon curd into the cavity of the baskets. Top with green coconut flakes. Add 3 mini chocolate eggs to each basket.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature. These are best the day they are assembled.
Notes
- You can "glue" the handles on the baskets the day before serving. Store covered at room temperature.
- The lemon curd can be made several days in advance.
- Add lemon curd, coconut, and mini eggs right before serving.
- Instead of lemon curd, use buttercream or pastry cream.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️