Lemon Meringue Cookies
These Lemon Meringue Cookies first came to life for a Mother's Day segment on Channel 7, my mum loves lemon curd, so it had to be done. Rather than hiding it inside the cookie, the curd sits proud in a little dent so it gets to properly shine, that glossy, golden colour is half the appeal before you've even taken a bite. Topped with meringue that you can pipe if you're feeling fancy or simply spoon on if you're keeping it relaxed, these are as fuss free as a showstopper cookie can be.
Perfect for Mother's Day, a birthday afternoon tea, or honestly any occasion that deserves something a little bit special and the lemon curd is the star of the show here, so use a good one.
Makes: 16 but I nearly always double it!
For the Cookies
Ingredients
160g unsalted butter, softened
120g brown sugar
120g caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Zest of 2 lemons
1 egg, room temperature
280g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
200g white chocolate chips or roughly chopped nuts of your choice
Method
In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar, and lemon zest together until pale and fluffy. Taking the time to cream the zest in early helps infuse that lemon flavour right through the dough.
Add the egg and vanilla bean paste and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir to form a dough.
Fold in the white chocolate chips or nuts.
Scoop the dough into golf ball-sized portions and place on a lined tray. Chill in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
For the Lemon Curd
Store-bought is absolutely fine here.
Ingredients
Juice and zest of 3 lemons
100g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter
2 eggs
Method
In a small saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter and eggs.
Cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Don't walk away and don't crank the heat; nobody wants scrambled lemon eggs.
Remove from the heat, strain through a sieve and allow to cool. Refrigerate until needed.
For the Swiss Meringue
Ingredients
4 egg whites
190g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg whites and sugar together.
Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved, it won't take long.
Transfer to a stand mixer or use an electric hand whisk and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add the vanilla and mix briefly to combine.
Baking the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 170°C fan.
Bake the chilled cookies for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven and use the back of a spoon to press a dint into the centre of each cookie.
Return to the oven for a further 2 minutes, then remove. Press the centre once more to make sure that well is defined, this is your lemon curd home.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the tray.
To Assemble
Spoon a generous amount of lemon curd into the well of each cooled cookie.
Pipe or spoon the meringue over the top, small swirls or big clouds, both look incredible.
If you have a kitchen torch, toast the meringue lightly until golden for that classic finish.
Elliot's Tips
Use the lemon curd egg yolks wisely. If you're making the curd from scratch, the 2 egg yolks left over from your meringue whites are exactly what you need. Nothing wasted.
Don't skip the chill time. The longer the dough rests the better, overnight in the fridge gives you a deeper, more developed flavour and a better texture in the bake.
The double dint is the move. Pressing once then baking, and pressing again straight after gives you a well that actually holds its shape and doesn't disappear into the cookie.
Store-bought curd. A good quality jar works beautifully here, save your energy for the meringue.
Once assembled, eat them the same day. The meringue will start to weep overnight so these are best enjoyed fresh. Store in an airtight container.