Citrus Meringue Sandwich Cookies

I'm a cookie phase. I like it. I'm going to start taking the cookies to work so I have less sugar running through my veins and then I will sleep at night again. These cookies are super sweet but also very tart. They are crunchy crumbly on the outside but then filled with creamy lemon curd.

Meringues Cookies.

2 large egg whites

pinch of salt

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the egg whites (save the yolks for the curd) in the mixer bowl with the fancy whisk attachment.

Beat egg whites, on medium speed until quite foamy, not just slightly foamy. Think mostly foam. Add the pinch of salt and increase speed to medium-high.

Slowly begin to sprinkle in the sugar. Continue to beat eggs until they become thick, glossy and messy. The egg whites will be the consistency of melted marshmallow.

I tossed the lime juice and vanilla right into the mixer at the end.

The blog I received this recipe from said to “Spoon into a piping bag, fitted with a large star tip. Pipe about a teaspoons worth of meringue onto the baking sheet” THIS FAILED FOR ME. It might not fail for you. I made a big giant sticky mess trying to put the egg whites into the baggie and spatula the rest with my non-existent 3^rd hand. I got so mad about the whole thing that I squeezed the whole blob onto my baking sheet, and threw it into the oven. I considered going with that for about 15 minutes. Then I re-made the recipe with a few adjustments and got a new baking sheet.

When I did this the second time I used a spoon and made little dots of meringue on the sheet. Not pretty stars, but not a giant blob either so it worked for me. the dots can be close together on the tray.

Bake meringues for 2 hours, until firm and hardened.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before filling and sandwiching.

Lemon Curd.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside.

In a medium pot, whisk together lemon juice, granulated sugar, eggs, yolks, and pinch of salt.

Heat pot over a medium-low heat and add butter. Whisk the mixture, everything I read online said to keep a spatula nearby to help you get into the corners of the pan so it didn’t burn but I didn’t really use mine.

Cook the curd until the butter is melted, and the mixture is the thick and gooey. I whisked constantly, at first it smelled like butter, then eggs, then more like citrus, if you want the smell story.

Evidently Curd can get sort of chunky as you cook it because the egg can separate a little bit. This recipe doesn’t do it too much due to the whisking in the beginning and constant stirring. It can still happen a little though and if yours does it more I think it’s fine.

Remove the curd from the flame and immediately pour into the fine mesh strainer over the medium bowl. Press through the strainer, leaving any cooked egg bits in the strainer; I took a picture of what was left in my strainer so you could see what I mean.

Place curd in a container, with a piece of plastic wrap placed directly over (touching) the curd. Place in the fridge until completely cold.

Spread a dollop of curd on the meringue and top it with another meringue. This is a sandwich cookie, which is like eating two cookies, but it only counts as one, best trick ever!

These are most yummy when you eat them right after you sandwich them so don’t make a bunch and then think you’ll get around to eating them. They will be sticky and messy and not as good.