How can I best describe these wonderful lemon meringue pie cookies? Tangy homemade lemon curd hidden between buttery and crumbly shortbread base and light and sweet toasted Italian meringue. These cookies are easy to make and will look beautiful on your Easter cookie platter.
How to make lemon meringue pie cookies
Making these cookies will require few steps but they are quite straightforward and can be made in advance.
SHORTBREAD BASE: In order to make a nice round shortbread base, you can use a muffin or a cupcake tray. You do not need any paper liners. Just mix the shortbread ingredients into a bowl and then divide them between cupcake trays. You can use a big cupcake tray or a small one, it is up to you. Bake shortbread for 20 minutes and let it cool down. This is it. You can make shortbread even a week in advance.
LEMON CURD: If you have not made lemon curd before – you absolutely should! I have a great recipe on my blog for lemon curd which makes the best lush, smooth and thick lemon curd perfect for these wonderful cookies. You can make lemon curd in advance as well. Of course, you can use shop-bought lemon curd if you prefer.
ITALIAN MERINGUE: If you have not made Italian meringue before you need to give it a try. Italian meringue is technical but easy and requires cooking sugar syrup to a certain temperature and then add it to whipped egg whites. Meringue is light and fluffy and you can toast it to add extra flavour.
Yes, three different layers, three different textures and one scrumptious lemon meringue pie cookie.
TIPS:
- Prepare shortbread and lemon curd in advance if you can, it will make the whole process of making cookie easier.
- I would highly recommend making your own lemon curd. The flavour is so much better, it is tangy and more lemony as well. Making lemon curd is a great way to use up any leftover egg yolks.
- In order to make neat looking cookies, use a piping bag and a piping nozzle for lemon curd and Italian meringue.
What do lemon meringue cookies taste like?
If you like lemon meringue pie, you will definitely love these cookies. The buttery and crumbly shortbread base is not too sweet and is a perfect foundation for a layer of lemon curd. My homemade lemon curd is tangy and really is bursting with lemon flavour. Fluffy, Italian meringue adds creamy texture and balances the tartness from lemon curd.
How to store lemon meringue pie cookies
I would recommend storing these cookies in a fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze these cookies as well, but I would freeze only the shortbread base on it is own and add lemon curd and meringue when you are ready to serve cookies. Italian meringue does not like moisture.
If you are looking for more recipes for lemon cookies, I can recommend you the following:
Poppy seed cookies stuffed with lemon curd
Easter egg sugar cookies with lemon curd and white chocolate
Poppy seeds thumbprint cookies with lemon curd
Lemon and white chocolate cookies
Click this link to see the best recipes for cookies
I hope you will make my recipe and if you do, please leave a comment below and let me know your feedback. You can also find me on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Gab and Gettr. Please say hi and do not forget to tag me in if you make my recipe. I love seeing your creations.
Recipe source – my own
Enjoy!
Lemon meringue pie cookies
Tangy homemade lemon curd hidden between buttery and crumbly cookie base and light and sweet toasted Italian meringue. These cookies are perfect for Spring, Easter or any time when you are in a mood for an indulgent lemon dessert.
Ingredients
Cookie base
Lemon curd
Italian meringue
Instructions
Making cookies base
-
Please read recipe post as well. It includes storage direction and other useful information.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients as it helps to achieve the best results. The US measurements in cups are the estimate and I can not guarantee the best results.
-
Preheat an oven to 170° C fan ( 338F).
-
Prepare 2 muffin trays, set aside. You do not need paper muffin cases to make this recipe.
-
In a big bowl add add butter, sugar, vanilla, flour and salt and mix well until you get the consistency of wet sand.
-
Divide the dough between 20 muffin cavities.
-
Press the dough firmly in each cavity.
-
Bake for 20 minutes.
-
When cookies are ready, remove muffin tins from the oven and let it cool down for 15 minutes.
-
After this time, gently remove cookies from muffin trays. Cookies should not stick and can be removed easily. Use a knife if needed.
-
Let the cookies cool down completely on a cooling rack.
Italian meringue
-
IMPORTANT: to make meringue, you need to make sure a bowl for egg whites and all other utensils are completely clean. One drop of water or greasy bowl will cause a problem and meringue will collapse.
-
In a small pot add together sugar and water, mix and then turn the gas on and start to heat up the sugar mixture. Do not stir sugar mixture at all from this point!
-
Using a sugar thermometer, keep checking the temperature. IMPORTANT! You will be aiming for 118C° (244F ) and this is when you stop heating up the sugar mixture.
-
But now, before the sugar mixture reaches 118C° (244 F), you start to slowly whisk up 72g of egg whites, start to whisk them when the sugar temperature starts to get higher. Basically you need to find the right spot to match beating up the meringue to hard peaks and the timing for sugar to reach 118C° (244F).
-
When sugar reached 118C (244F) and you have hard peaks in your meringue. Take the sugar mixture from the hob and slowly start pouring sugar syrup on the side of the bowl with your meringue.
-
You should be doing it slowly with a very thin stream on the side of the bowl.
-
Then start whisking the meringue slowly and then after a minute start whisking on the highest setting.
-
You should be whisking for about 5-6 minutes until you get thick meringue and soft peaks. You should be able to see that meringue starts to hold it shape. It is important not to overmix as the meringue will deflate and will turn into liquid and you will have to start again.
Homemade lemon curd
-
I use homemade lemon curd from my recipe https://kitchenbyannak.com/recipe/easy-homemade-lemon-curd/. You can use shop-bought if you wish.
Assembling cookies
-
Pipe or spoon lemon curd on a cooled cookie base.
-
Pipe Italian meringue on top of lemon curd.
-
Using a kitchen torch or an oven grill, toast meringues to your liking.
-
Store cookies in a fridge for up to 5 days.