Description
Delicate lemon meringue cookie cups blend tangy citrus with sweet, pillowy meringue in a delightful miniature dessert. Crisp cookie bases cradle silky lemon curd, topped with torched meringue peaks that melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 tbsps (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 6 tbsps (85 g) unsalted butter
- 4 egg whites
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Prepare Workspace: Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a muffin pan to prevent sticking.
- Create Cookie Base: Cream butter and sugar until smooth, then blend in egg and vanilla extract until uniformly mixed. Fold in flour and baking powder, creating a soft dough. Chill briefly if too warm.
- Form Cookie Cups: Distribute dough evenly into muffin cups, pressing gently to create a center indentation. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges turn golden, then cool completely in the pan.
- Craft Lemon Curd: In a double boiler, whisk citrus juice, zest, eggs, egg yolk, and sugar. Cook over gentle heat until the mixture transforms into a thick, silky custard. Remove from heat, incorporate butter, and refrigerate to set.
- Construct Meringue: Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar over a double boiler, whisking until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a stand mixer and whip on high speed until peaks become stiff and glossy. Enhance with vanilla extract.
- Assemble and Finish: Pipe lemon curd generously into cooled cookie bases. Top with meticulously piped meringue, creating elegant swirls. Optionally, use a kitchen torch to caramelize the meringue surface and dust with powdered sugar for an exquisite presentation.
Notes
- Chill Dough Wisely: Refrigerate cookie dough for 15-20 minutes if it feels too soft, ensuring easier handling and preventing spread during baking.
- Master Lemon Curd Technique: Constant whisking prevents egg scrambling and guarantees a silky, smooth texture; remove from heat immediately when thickened.
- Meringue Perfection Secrets: Ensure absolutely no yolk in egg whites, use room temperature eggs, and add sugar gradually for maximum volume and stability.
- Torch with Caution: When caramelizing meringue, move kitchen torch constantly to avoid burning, keeping flame about 2 inches from surface for even golden coloration.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg