Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies

A Lemon Meringue Pie Cookie with a bite taken out of it on a white marble serving board with a cookie in the foreground and background.

5 from 2 votes

Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies

These Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies are made with a soft and chewy lemon cookie base, a sweet and tangy lemon filling, and they’re finished with a simple toasted meringue.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

Ingredients

Lemon Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsps lemon extract
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour (360 grams)

Lemon Filling

5 egg yolks reserve the whites for the meringue
6 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup water
zest of 3 lemons
½ cup lemon juice about 3 lemons

Meringue

5 egg whites reserved from the filling
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 pinch salt

Instructions

Lemon Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and lemon extract and combine.
Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all-purpose flour and combine.
Roll the dough into round balls using 1 heaping tablespoon worth of dough. This is smaller than a standard drop cookie, which is typically 2 tablespoons of dough.
Please on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 8 minutes.
Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool fully.

Lemon Filling

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, water, cornstarch, granulated sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer at medium heat (think a setting of 4 out of 10).
Once at a simmer, pour about half of the lemon juice mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and continue stirring for 1-3 minutes until thickened. Set aside and allow to cool.

Meringue

Set up a double boiler (either use a double boiler or use a pot and a separate heatproof bowl that can sit nestled on top of the pot). Fill the bottom pot with a few inches of water. The water should be low enough that when the heatproof bowl sits on top, it does not come in contact with the water. Bring the water to a simmer.
Add the egg whites to the bowl and whisk in the sugar and cream of tartar. Place the bowl over the pot with the simmering water. Continue to whisk the egg whites until they become white and frothy and the sugar has melted. The heat gently cooks the egg whites without changing the consistency. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Use a handheld mixer or transfer the whipped egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Starting at low speed, then increasing the speed slightly, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and it has a shiny white consistency.

Assembling the Cookies

To assemble the cookies place a dollop of the lemon filling on the top of a cookie. Then top the filling with a dollop of the meringue. Use the back of a spoon to create interesting patterns and soft peaks.
Use a kitchen torch, and in a circular motion toast the meringue.

Notes

Lemon Extract: Lemon extract (rather than lemon juice or zest) is the best way to get lemon flavor in a cookie without changing the wet-dry ingredient ratio or needing to zest half a dozen lemons.
Cream of Tartar: Also known as potassium bitartrate, a byproduct of wine fermentation, it stabilizes the egg whites to prevent the meringue from weeping.
Rolling the Cookie Dough: Rolling the dough into a ball before baking helps the cookies to have a nice round shape.
Troubleshooting the Cookies: If your cookies are too thin or flat looking, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.
Lemon Filling: Immediately bring the cornstarch and lemon juice mixture to a simmer. If you wait and the cornstarch sits in the water and lemon juice, it will start to get gummy.

Nutrition