Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies

Add the lemon juice (1 cup), egg (1 large), yolks (5 large), and salt (½ tsp). Whisk to combine.

Place pot over medium heat and whisk continuously until the lemon curd thickens, 5-7 minutes.

Dump lemon curd into a heat proof bowl. Stir in the butter (3 Tbsp) and vanilla (2 tsp).

Cover with plastic wrap ensuring the plastic touches the top of the curd and refrigerate until ready to use (can be made several days in advance).

Add the butter (2 sticks) and sugar (1 ¼ cups) to a large bowl. Beat with a hand-mixer (you can also do by hand) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg (1 large) and egg yolk (1 large) until combined.

Beat in the vanilla (2 tsp), baking powder (2 tsp), and salt (½ tsp).

Add the flour (2 ½ cups) and beat on low until just combined.

Preheat oven to 350 °F with a rack in the upper and lower thirds.

Grease a 1/3 cup flat-bottomed measuring cup (or anything flat-bottomed with about a 2” diameter) and set aside.

Remove lemon curd from the refrigerator and stir it with a spoon to revive it a bit.

Line two half-sheet trays with parchment paper. Using a quarter-cup ice cream scoop, plop 6-7 cookie dough balls evenly spaced on the trays. Flatten the balls slightly.

Bake both trays for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are picking up color around the edges/are just a couple minutes from being totally cooked.

Reduce oven heat to 300 °F.

Working quickly, remove the tray with the slightly more-cooked cookies from the oven, leaving the other one in the oven. Using the prepared measuring cup, press down into the center of each cookie, creating a ~1/4” deep divot (if the cookie “walls” break apart too much, just smoosh it back together).

Spoon 1-2 tbsp lemon curd into each divot, just to fill them.

Return tray to the oven and repeat with the other tray. Once both trays are back in the oven, bake for another 5-8 minutes to set the lemon curd (if you shake the pans the curd just wobbles slightly).

Remove trays from the oven and let cool completely. (The cookies at this point can be finished if you’d like, sans meringue).

Set a medium saucepan with 1” of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the egg whites (4 large), granulated sugar (1 cup), and salt (¼ tsp).

Set over the simmering water and whisk continuously until when you feel the egg whites they don’t feel grainy and are very warm.

Attach bowl to the stand mixer and turn to high speed. Allow machine to run until the meringue cools down and holds peaks, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar (½ cup) and vanilla and whisk that in until incorporated.

Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2” round tip (or any tip you desire). Pipe meringue on top of the lemon curd in a design you like.

Using a kitchen torch, torch the meringue to caramelize it.

Cookies are best stored in a single layer on a baking tray, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 4 days (honestly, I recommend refrigerating regardless because it prevents the cookies from being too fragile).