Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies

These lemon meringue pie cookies pack all the delicious flavor of the classic pie into a handheld treat-with a buttery cookie base, tangy lemon curd center, and toasted meringue on top.

These lemon meringue pie cookies have a buttery, lemon sugar cookie base, a dollop of tangy lemon curd, and small swirls of fluffy toasted meringue on top.

They're bright, sweet, and just the right amount of fancy without being fussy.

Perfect for a spring dessert at showers, or whenever you want to impress someone with a cookie that tastes like sunshine.

Ingredients

Lemon Curd

• Large Eggs
• White Granulated Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Zest
• Salt
• Butter
• Yellow Food Coloring or Icing Gel, optional. I just like how the bright color pops on the cookie!

Cookies

• Butter softened
• White Granulated Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Large Eggs
• Lemon Extract
• All-Purpose Flour
• Salt

Meringue

• Egg Whites
• White Granulated Sugar
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Cream of Tartar
• Salt

How to Bake Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies

Lemon Curd

• Using a double boiler (or a saucepan with a heatproof bowl on top. Tip: An electric mixing bowl works as shown below.), bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in the bottom saucepan.
• Add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and salt into the top of your double boiler.

• Continuously whisk to prevent the egg from cooking until it is thick and more pale in color, about 10-12 minutes.
• Once thickened, remove from the heat. Whisk butter into the lemon curd until fully combined and smooth. Optionally, add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to brighten the color.
• Refrigerate the lemon curd until fully cooled before adding to the cookies.

Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and lemon extract, mix until combined. Add flour and salt and mix until combined once more.

• Using a small cookie scoop, add 2 scoops of cookie dough (about 8 teaspoons) into your hand and roll into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 5 minutes in the oven.

• Remove from the oven and indent the top of each cookie with the back of a ¼ measuring cup. Place back in the oven for 9-12 minutes more, until the edges begin to brown.

• Fill each warm cookie with lemon curd and then let them cool while making the meringue.

Meringue

Typically, meringue is baked in the oven with the pie. However, we’re adding it to the cookie after they’re baked, so we need to make sure the eggs reach a safe temperature first to prevent salmonella. A candy or deep-fry thermometer works great for this.

• Using the double broiler again, add an inch of water to the bottom pot over low heat. In the top bowl of the pot, whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Continuously whisk until it reaches a minimum of 165℉, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

• Add the meringue to an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or a medium bowl with a hand mixer and mix on high for 2-4 minutes until it forms stiff peaks.

• Fill an icing bag with meringue using a star tip. Add 3-4 stars to the top of each cookie. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue stars.

Tips

Use thick lemon curd: A sturdy curd won't run off the cookie. Chill it first if it’s too loose.

Homemade or store-bought lemon curd: Both work, but homemade gives you control over tartness and texture.

Assembled cookies: can be refrigerated for 1-2 days, but may lose crispness and the meringue’s volume. However, lemon meringue pie cookies are best served at room temperature.

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