Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

ingredients

For the Lemon Curd:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 whole large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp lemon zest

For the Cupcakes:
2 cups pastry flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup 2% milk
1 tbsp lemon zest

For the Meringue:
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

method

For the Lemon Curd, whisk lemon juice, eggs, egg yolk and sugar in a metal bowl until smooth. Add butter and place bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk gently until curd thickens and leaves a ribbon when whisk is lifted, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Stir in lemon zest and chill completely before filling.

For the Cupcakes, preheat oven to 375°F .

Line 2 muffin tins with paper cups. Sift pastry flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine milk and lemon zest. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions. Fill paper cups just over halfway and bake 18 to 20 minutes, until cake springs back when touched and only just begins to colour. Allow to cool completely.

For the Meringue, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add sugar and continue whipping until egg whites hold an upright peak when beaters are lifted.

To assemble, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and place on a baking sheet. Carve out a hole in each cupcake with a paring knife (discard or snack on scraps). Spoon or pipe 2 tbsp (25 mL) of lemon curd into each cupcake. Spoon dollops or pipe spikes or swirls of meringue over curd. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes, until tops of meringues brown.

Makes 24 cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for 4 hours or chilled for 1 day.

LCBO's Food and Drink Magazine Early Summer 2004 by Anna Olson