Lemon Curd and Meringue Daisies

You know, it seems to me that anything that tastes as divine as lemon curd should have been given a prettier name. But, it is what it is. A rose by any other name, I guess. There is just something almost magical about combining such simple ingredients and having a delectable treat result. Eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and butter. That’s it.

Monday, Princess Thundercloud and I made Meringue Daisies and filled them with Lemon Curd.  Why?  Because it was Earth Day, her Gotcha Day (the day we actually picked her up from the receiving home, when she was four days old), AND we had temps over 60 degrees and SUNSHINE together for the first time since October, I think.

Anyway, these are one of the most cheerful cookies I make, and possibly my favorite.  They’re a bit time-consuming, taking about an hour of prep, then another hour to bake, but perfect for a special occasion (such as seeing the sun and not sideways snow). The hooligans could not stop sneaking them off the platter…that’s why I had to use this skinny little tray that only holds five for the photo! And they’re not even the prettiest ones; they’re just the ones I snatched away from my children.

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Lemon Curd and Meringue Daisies

Meringues:

  • 4 egg whites (save the yolks for the lemon curd)
  • 1 cup sugar

Lemon Curd:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in very small pieces

1. To make meringues: Whisk together the whites and sugar in a glass bowl over simmering water (like a double boiler, but just a pan and bowl). Continue whisking them until the sugar dissolves and they are hot to the touch. Remove bowl from over water and, using an electric mixer, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. It will take 3-5 minutes.

2. On two sheets of parchment paper, draw 24 circles on each, tracing around the bottom of a glass or other 2” round object with a pencil. Turn the sheets pencil-side down and place on baking sheets.Daisies-Parchment-CHaosServ

3. Spoon the meringue into a gallon-size Ziploc. To do this, I place the bag inside a large tumbler (a souvenir popcorn cup from Disneyworld, but you won’t find that at Sur la Table) and turn the top wrong-side out over the edges. Then I use a rubber spatula to spoon the meringue in. Snip about ¼” off one corner of the bag, and squeeze all the air out, twisting to push all the meringue towards that corner. Daisies-Meringue-Bag-CHaosS

4. Make a dot surrounded by six other dots in each circle of the parchment. Do this for all 48 circles. Daisies-with-Peaks-ChaosSer

5. Dip your fingertip in water and smooth out the points on the flowers, making an indentation in the center (that’s where your lemon curd will go, so make sure there are no holes).Daisies-COmplete-Closeup-Ch

 

6. Bake at 175 degrees for 1 hour, or until they feel dry and hard when tapped, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Daisies-for-oven-ChaosServe

7. Meanwhile, make the lemon curd: Combine egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture bubbles and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Let cool. If you’d like, strain it through a very fine strainer to remove any small lumps.

8. When it’s cool and thickened, fill a small Ziploc bag (as above), snip off ¼” from a corner, and pipe a small amount into the center of each meringue. Chill for a few minutes to set the lemon curd.

Click here for the printable recipe

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About Megan

My various hats: mom to three crazy teens and one quirky dog, wife of 27 years to my retired GI Joe, and high school math teacher. After my husband's retirement from the Army, we've settled in the Pacific Northwest. Crafting, cooking, photography, and reading keep me sane (that's a relative term!) and I hope you'll enjoy following along as I navigate the chaos of life!
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3 Responses to Lemon Curd and Meringue Daisies

  1. Stephanie A. says:

    These are lovely and a real treat to see on such a wintery cold snowy morning in Denver. I hope to make these soon. 🙂

    • Megan says:

      Yeah, we’re back to cold weather today…Frank’s up north for a couple of days and said they had 6″ of snow overnight. Too bad for him that he missed not only our one day of spring, but also the meringues! I hope you like them, Steph!

  2. Crystal says:

    They are so pretty!! Pinning this recipe to do at a later date. Right now, our weather has been beautiful – 80’s – so we have been outside alot. Thanks for the recipe!!

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