Lemon Meringue Cookie Nests

Prep 5 min

Cook 135 min

Ready in 140 min

These light and airy cookies are fun little vessels for bright and tangy lemon curd and berries! Try them for Wedding Showers or Mother's Day!

Ingredients

3 egg whites
¼ tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract
¼ tsp (1 mL) cream of tartar
½ cup (125 mL) sugar

¾ cup (175 mL) sugar
¾ cup (175 mL) water
¼ cup (60 mL) cornstarch
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
⅛ tsp (0.5 mL) salt
Garnish: fresh blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°F (100°C).
Add the egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar to the bowl of the Deluxe Stand Mixer. Select the WHIP setting and adjust time to 5:00. Press START. When 2:00 is remaining, continue whipping and slowly pour in the sugar, a bit at a time. Continue until END appears.
Spoon 36 small piles of meringue onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Use the back of a spoon to gently push down the tops to create a nest. Or, place the meringue into a piping bag and pipe 36 piles, swirling a rim on the outside to form the nest.
Bake for 2 hours. (Do not to open the oven door.) Turn off the oven and let sit for another 10 minutes or until fully crisp to the touch (Keep oven door closed). Remove from the oven, cool, and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Meanwhile to prepare the curd, whisk together the sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture boils and starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place the beaten egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in half of the hot liquid while whisking constantly to not scramble the eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the hot mixture, whisking constantly.
Return the pot to medium heat and whisk vigorously until it returns to a boil and thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Set aside, cover and cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Place the meringues on a platter alongside a bowl of the curd and fresh berries. Spoon curd into the nest, top with berries, and dust with powdered sugar, if you’d like.

Yield:

18 servings

Nutrients per serving:

U.S. nutrients per serving: Calories 80, Total Fat 1.5 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Sodium 30 mg, Carbohydrate 16 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugars 14 g (includes 14 g added sugar), Protein 1 g

Cook's Tips:

Make sure your mixing bowl, whisk attachment, and any utensils are free from fat before making the meringue. Otherwise, the egg whites will not whip up.

Fill up the meringue nests with your own favorite fillings! Try fruit, chocolate mousse, buttercream, whipped Greek yogurt dip...