Dylan Bachelet

Lore

Dylan’s Coconut Illusion nests turn a meringue into a visual joke: the dessert is asked to suggest something other than a simple piped nest. Coconut gives the idea a tropical, textured vocabulary, while the nest shape demands even piping and a bake that stays pale and crisp enough for the illusion to read.

Source note

Public recreation / fan method — not the baker’s original formula. Paraphrased from Coconut Meringue Nests, Relaxed Recipes; this is not Dylan Bachelet’s original formula.

Ingredients

• Genoise: 3 large eggs; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup plain flour; 2 tbsp melted butter
• Rum syrup: 1/4 cup water; 2 tbsp sugar; 3 tbsp dark rum
• Coconut meringue: 4 large egg whites; 1 cup caster sugar; 1/2 cup icing sugar; 1/2 cup finely chopped unsweetened coconut; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 tsp vanilla; brown gel colouring
• Coconut bavarois: 2 1/4 tsp gelatine; 3 tbsp cold water; 1 cup full-fat coconut milk; 1/2 cup double cream; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 4 egg yolks; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 cup double cream whipped to soft peaks; pulp of 3 passion fruits
• To finish: extra passion fruit pulp, toasted coconut flakes, and fresh mint.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square tin. Beat eggs and sugar over simmering water until thick and tripled, cool while beating, then fold in flour and butter. Bake 20–25 minutes and cool.
2. Boil the syrup water and sugar until dissolved, stir in rum, and cool. Cut the genoise into cubes and brush with syrup.
3. Heat the oven to 225°F. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks, gradually add caster sugar to stiff glossy peaks, then fold in icing sugar, coconut, vinegar, and vanilla. Swirl in brown colouring, pipe or spoon six nest shapes, and dry 2 1/2–3 hours. Cool in the switched-off oven with the door ajar.
4. Bloom gelatine in cold water. Heat coconut milk and 1/2 cup cream just below simmering. Whisk yolks and sugar, temper with the hot mixture, then cook gently to 170°F until it coats a spoon.
5. Remove from heat, dissolve in the gelatine and vanilla, strain, and cool until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped cream and passion fruit pulp; chill about 2 hours.
6. Fill the nests with bavarois, top with rum-soaked genoise, and garnish with passion fruit, toasted coconut, and mint. Serve promptly to keep the meringue crisp.

Baker’s tips

Dry the shells fully before filling, then assemble close to serving so the tropical centre does not soften their crisp edges.