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.
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 3 Large Eggs
- ⅔ cup White Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Butter
- 2 drops Yellow Food Coloring or Icing Gel optional, I just like how the bright color pops on the cookie
Cookies
- ⅔ cup Butter softened
- ¾ cup White Granulated Sugar
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg room temperature
- 1 Large Egg Yolk room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Meringue
- 2 Egg Whites room temperature
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
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 into your hand and roll into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes. 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
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 233mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 321IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg