Picture from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Heather recently visited Brooke Walker at Studio5 KSL during COLOR WEEK. They’ve been celebrating the new book Craft the Rainbow, from The House that Lars Built. It’s a beautiful declaration of color! Brooke has been showcasing a different color each day. We were lucky to visit on YELLOW day!!! Sunshine!!!!
The crew at Studio5 assigned Heather the task of sharing a YELLOW food. She was inspired by Sweet Peas and Saffron’s tangy, lemon meringue bites! Hand-held nests of sweet and crunchy meringue, filled with tart and tangy lemon curd! They are beautiful and delicious and perfect for all your sunshiney soirees this spring!
See Heather and Brooke in action here!
Picture from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Picture from Sweet Peas and Saffron
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 large lemons, zested
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Directions
- In a large, microwaveable bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and eggs, whisking together until combined. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving in 1 minute intervals, stirring well after each round, for a total of 6-7 minutes, or until the curd coats the back of a metal spoon.
- (Optional) Place a fine mesh sieve or strainer over a clean bowl, preferably one with a spout. Pour the curd through the sieve or strainer and use a spoon to gently push the curd through the sieve. Discard any clumps of curd, lemon zest, and seeds. Pour curd into 2-4 mason jars with lids. Seal the lids and let set at room temperature for 1 hour to cool down. Then, refrigerate until chilled. Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- Pre-heat oven to 300*F. Line two sheet pans with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (The meringues on the silicone mat held their shape and released slightly better). Set pans aside.
- In a clean stand mixer, whip your egg whites on high until they form soft peaks - about 1 minute.
- Add the cream of tartar. Then add the sugar 1 Tablespoon at a time, continuing to beat on high. This will take 5-10 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl to include all the sugar.
- When the mixture has formed stiff peaks, fill a pastry bag, fitted with a Wilton 1M Tip.
- Moving slowly, pipe a 3-inch circle on your lined baking sheet. Without lifting the tip, continue piping around the outer edge of the circle, forming the outside edge of the meringue nest.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 300*F, then reduce heat to 250*F and bake for 10-20 more minutes, until meringues are hard and start to turn slightly golden. Turn off oven, open the door, and let meringues dry and cool in the oven for one hour.
- Store meringues in an air tight container, up to 5 days before serving.
- Spoon or squeeze lemon curd into the meringue and serve immediately.
