About

Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
45 mins

Mini Lemon Meringue Whoopie Pies with Lemon Curd Filling
Inspired by lemon meringue pie, I added brown sugar to these meringues to approximate the pie’s toasty flavor. A half recipe of Lemon Curd will leave you with three egg whites, just the right amount for a batch of these meringues.
After assembling them, I recommend letting the cookies sit for several hours at room temperature or—better yet—overnight after assembling them; the texture approximates something between the pie that inspires them and the spongy, cakelike texture of a traditional whoopie pie. And it only gets better, if you can make them last.

Makes about 2 dozen whoopie pies

Posted by GMC Group Published See GMC Group's 304 projects » © 2024 Ellen Jackson / GMC Publications · Reproduced with permission. · The Lemon Cookbook by Ellen Jackson, published by Sasquatch (£14.99, available from www.thegmcgroup.com). c)2015 By Ellen Jackson. All rights reserved. Excerpted from The Lemon Cookbook: 50 Sweet & Savory Recipes to Brighten Every Meal by permission of Sa
PrintEmbed
  • Step 1

    Lemon Curd
    Makes about 11/3 cups curd

    Prepare a water bath for the curd: Fill a medium pan with a few inches of water and bring the water to a simmer. Keep the water simmering over low heat while you cook the curd.
    In a nonreactive bowl that is small enough to fit inside the pan with the water, whisk together the sugar, zest, and egg yolks. (Do this quickly: if you wait, the mixture will coagulate.) Place the bowl over the pan and whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and, still whisking, cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken very slightly. Add the butter and salt, then switch to a spatula and stir constantly until the mixture is thick and opaque, with a consistency between yogurt and sour cream, about 10 more minutes. The curd will register approximately 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
    Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

  • Step 2

    Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • Step 3

    Put the granulated and brown sugars in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until they are well incorporated and finely ground. Set aside.

  • Step 4

    Put the egg whites in the clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or a clean, dry bowl that can be used with an electric handheld mixer. (If there’s even a speck of egg yolk, oil, or water in the bowl or the whites, they won’t stiffen.) Begin mixing on medium-low speed. When the whites are frothy, add the cream of tartar and salt and continue beating for about 2 minutes, or until the whites are thick and foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the sugar mixture slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to high, whipping until stiff, shiny peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until just blended, about 5 seconds.

  • Step 5

    Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a plain ½-inch tip or a ziplock bag with one corner snipped off. Hold the bag perpendicular to the baking sheets and pipe small flat disks, about 1¼ inches in diameter and ¼ inch high. Bake until the meringues are dry and crisp, about 1½ hours. Turn off the oven and leave them there to cool completely.

  • Step 6

    To assemble the cookies, arrange half of the meringues flat side up on a baking sheet. Put the chilled curd
in a clean pastry bag fitted with a plain ½-inch tip or another ziplock bag with one corner snipped off. Pipe about 2 teaspoons onto each meringue. Gently press the remaining meringues flat side down onto the curd. As they sit, the meringues will become softer and chewier.

Made this project? Share your version »

Comments

Square 2021 04 02 173905 img 4855

More Projects