Pavlova is both simple and impressive€”just what makes a recipe perfect.

I’ve been hosting an Easter brunch for a few years, almost entirely because I need to justify the Easter baking I do—and to save myself from eating it all. I’m a big fan of hot cross buns (I’m also one of the rare few who actually likes Christmas cake, so the dried fruit in hot cross buns is right up my alley), but I’ve been living the gluten-light life for a while now, so I lean on another favourite recipe at this time of year: Julie Van Rosendaal‘s Pavlova with lemon curd and cream.I generally do a combo of the mini size she suggests, and then one larger one when I become bored of making the mini ones. If I’m feeling ambitious (though really, it’s not difficult) I make the lemon curd from scratch like she does. If I’m lazy—and it’s the long weekend, so there’s a good chance I will be—I buy a store-bought jar.The result is a crispy and chewy masterpiece, with a sweet-tart filling and luscious cream on top—it’s inevitably the star of the brunch, with frankly, minimal effort on my part. A perfect recipe indeed.

Get the Recipe:Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Cream