If you’re looking for the perfect Easter dessert recipe or a fancy dessert for a springtime baby or bridal shower, these Mini Lemon Curd Meringues are for you! Made with fresh lemon curd (or store-bought if you’re feeling unambitious), free-form sweet meringue tarts, whipped cream, and the berries of your choice, you can’t go wrong with this elevated lemon dessert.
To say that I like lemon flavored food is kind of an understatement.
Rather, I absolutely ADORE all kinds of lemon recipes from pasta to scones and bars to cakes. The funny thing is, there’s a sad paucity of lemon recipes on this site due to one major factor:
Kyle loathed lemon-centered food.
I don’t remember if I ever told the story here of the time when he washed the pasta I made for dinner one night so forgive me if you’ve read this before. After 16 years of blogging, it’s not easy to remember all of the stories I’ve told!
Back in the early days of our relationship (2003 or 2004), I made Ina’s lemon capellini, which my co-workers had raved about it. At the time, I wasn’t aware of Kyle’s lemon aversion so I loaded the sauce up with zest as Ina told me to do.
After one bite, he spit it out, yucked my yum – that’s putting it nicely – and went to the sink with a colander and proceeded to rinse his whole bowl of pasta off with hot water.
Needless to say, I was mortified! But I took the “hint” and never made another lemon-centered recipe for him again.
ANYWAY…
I will say that if there’s one really big strange thing about losing your partner, it’s adapting to cooking a different way. For me, there are a lot of bittersweet emotions right now when I’m in the kitchen.
In addition to his lemon aversion, Kyle also had a lot of food allergies to tree nuts and many fresh fruits and veggies. So while I’m able to freely cook with these ingredients now, it also hurts to think about why I can.
Would Kyle have eaten these mini lemon curd meringues for Easter dessert last year? Probably not. In fact, I probably would never have made them at all if he were alive and instead opted to make a cheesecake – his absolute favorite.
I have to tell you though, I totally flipped for these meringues! And so did everyone I made them for, including Riley.
The meringues are shatteringly crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. They’re almost too sweet on their own but that twang of sweet is mellowed when paired with a big dollop of tart lemon curd.
I’ve always loved meringue cookies so I’m happy to report that this attempt – my first attempt – at making mini meringues was a stellar success. This lemon dessert is utterly delicious and while it looks like a complicated one to make, I think you’ll find it to include just a couple of simple steps.
More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love to Eat
- lemon bars
- lemon buttermilk loaf cake
- whole lemon muffins
- French lemon cream tart
- blackberry lemonade
- lemon cupcakes with raspberry curd
Mini Lemon Curd Meringues
Mini lemon curd meringues might just be the cutest and most delicious springtime dessert I've ever made. With a tart-like base of sweet and crunchy merginue filled with tart lemon curd and a dollop of fresh whipped cream, this is the Easter dessert of your dreams. And as a bonus, this is also a fantastic gluten-free dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 lemon curd recipe (See Note below)
For the meringues:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 pinches table salt
- 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
For serving:
- Powdered sugar
- Freshly whipped cream
- Fresh berries
Instructions
- To make the meringues: Preheat the oven to 250° F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, salt, and cornstarch together; set aside. Add the room temperature egg whites to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-low (3 or 4) until they turn white and look satiny. The beaters will start to trail through the whites. With the mixer on, gradually pour the sugar mixture into the whites in small additions, allowing each addition to whisk in for about 15 seconds before adding the next addition. Whisk for 2 more minutes and then add the vinegar and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer up to medium-high (7 or 8) and whisk until the meringue turns glossy and forms stiff peaks when you pull the whisk out of it. Take care to not overbeat the meringue; this will prevent the meringues from holding their shape when baked.
- Using a large ice cream scoop the meringue into 6 balls on 1 of the baking sheets. The balls should be a generous ¼ cup each. Repeat with the remaining meringue and second baking sheet. Use a spoon to make small swoopy indentations in the top of each of the meringues. This is where the curd will go when you serve the meringues.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans from top rack to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time. When they are finished, they should feel firm-ish and dry when gently pressed in the center and the centers should give slightly. You should be able to lift them off of the parchment easily.
- Turn off the oven and leave the meringues on the trays in the oven with the door closed to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
- To assemble and serve: You can serve these meringues up 2 ways. Option 1: Place the meringues on individual dessert plates. Dollop a small scoop of lemon curd into the center of the meringues and dust lightly with powdered sugar. Top with a small dollop of whipped cream and a few berries. Option 2: Line the meringues up on a serving platter, board, or tiered stand and proceed as in Option 1. This option allows for a more formal presentation for larger gatherings or parties.
Do ahead: The curd can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container the fridge. The meringues are best on the day they are made but can be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They must be completely cool before your store them or the moisture from the warm meringues will cause them to "weep" and become a sticky mess.
Notes
Refrigerate any leftovers to use in other recipes like lemon curd swirled cheesecake or for slathering on blueberry scones or muffins.
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Recommended Products
As a member of the Amazon Associate affiliate program, I earn a small percentage from your qualifying Amazon purchases when you click the Amazon links on this page. I'm not informed of who purchases what, just of what products are purchased.
No comments yet.