Lemon Meringue Cookies (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free)

Every bite of these lemon meringue cookies are bursting with tart spring and summer flavors!

The Story:

These gourmet, allergy-friendly cookies boast a grain free cookie base, then topped with a bright dairy free lemon curd, and are finished off with a fluffy, homemade meringue. Tart, sweet, decadent, delicious. I love taking the flavors you know and love of one dessert, then reimagining it in another form (usually in cookie form). It makes such a memorable, personal impression when you have your own individual dessert that is bursting with the nostalgic flavors you know and love. There is something modern and magical about it. Plus, there is no cutting or plates required!

If you love the bright flavor of lemon, try these gluten free lemon scones, lemon thumbprint cookies, and try this savory take on lemon with this lemon herb chicken!

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• The Story:
• 🧾 The Ingredients:
• Step By Step Preparation Instructions:
• More Spring Recipes:
• 📖 The Recipe:
• Lemon Meringue Cookies
• The Finished Product:

🧾 The Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make these lemon meringue cookies:

• Almond Flour: This grain free flour gives structure to the cookies and helps them retain their moisture and chewy texture.
• Tapioca Flour: This grain free flour is a starch flour that aids in the cookies achieving a fluffy crumb and helps absorb the liquid ingredients.
• Granulated Sugar: Of course, every cookie needs sugar. There will also be sugar in the curd and meringue.
• Dairy-Free Butter: I used Earth Balance butter in the cookies, as well as in the lemon curd.
• Eggs: Egg yolks will be needed for the cookie batter, as well as in the lemon curd. Egg whites will be needed for the meringue.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder is the rising agent so the cookies rise and cook properly.
• Xanthan Gum: This helps the cookies retain their texture and helps bind the ingredients together so that the cookies are not too crumbly.
• Salt: Just a bit of salt gets added for flavor balance.
• Vanilla: A dose of vanilla gets added to the cookie batter for richness and depth of flavor.
• Lemons: You will need fresh lemon juice to make the lemon curd.
• Cream of Tartar: This helps stabilize the egg whites so that it creates firm peaks for a successful meringue.

Step By Step Preparation Instructions:

There are 3 main components to these cookies: the cookie base, the dairy free lemon curd, and the meringue topping. Neither component is difficult or time consuming, but you can make any component ahead of time to cut down on preparation time.

• Step 1: First, let’s make the cookies. This is a simple, drop cookie recipe. Preheat your oven to 350. Using a fork, cream together your butter and sugar until nice and creamy.
• Step 2: Then, add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix again until creamy and well incorporated.
• Step 3: Next, add in your dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together and is holding its shape.
• Step 4: Using a large cookie scoop (3 tbsp), scoop out the cookies and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 13-14 min until JUST slightly starting to lightly brown. Light sugar cookies= the best sugar cookies. You do not want your cookies to “brown” or they lose the desirable chewy texture. Set aside to cool.

• Step 5: Now, for the lemon curd. For the full recipe with all my tips and tricks, head here. Add your lemon juice, egg yolks and sugar to a glass bowl.
• Step 6: Now, create a double boiler by bringing 1-2 inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan and place the heatproof glass bowl on top, ensuring that it is not touching the water in the pan below it.
• Step 7: Whisk the ingredients on a continual basis as the lemon curd cooks. Whisking consistently will prevent the lemon curd from curdling. Continue to whisk the lemon curd for 10-15 minutes or until it begins to thicken. In the beginning, this mixture will have a watery consistently and it will just drip off the spoon. When it is nearing completion, the mixture will slowly drop off the spatula in droplets. It’s a subtle sign to look for. If the lemon curd isn’t thickening, turn up the heat a bit and continue to whisk. Once you remove it from the heat, the should curd stay parted for a second or 2 after running a spatula through it. This would indicate that it has cooked down properly.
• Step 8: Once you have removed the curd from the heat, add in your butter and whisk until the butter has melted and the curd has a creamy, silky texture. Allow the curd to cool completely. It should be a nice, thick, pudding-like consistency.

• Step 9: Lastly, we will make the meringue. Add the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar to a heatproof bowl. Using the same double boiler, place the bowl over the saucepan filled with about two inches of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. 
• Step 10: Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until the mixture has thinned out and the sugar has dissolved completely. This should take about 4-5 minutes. To check if it is done, get a small amount of the mixture onto a spoon. Once it has cooled just slightly, dip your fingers into the mixture and rub it between your fingers. If you cannot feel any sugar granules, it is done cooking. If it still has even a slightly grainy texture, continue to heat the mixture. The mixture will also be lighter in color and more voluminous with a foamy look on top.
• Step 11: Now, pour this mixture into a bowl on a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites on medium low speed for 2-3 minutes and gradually increase the speed until the mixture reaches soft peaks and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch. Then increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form. The meringue should be shiny, bright white, and hold its form well.

• Step 12: Now to assemble the cookies! Place the cooled curd into a piping bag fitted with a large circle piping tip. Add your meringue to another piping bag fitted with the piping tip of your choice. My favorite is a 1M star tip. Add a dollop of the lemon curd to the center of the cookie. Next, pipe on a beautiful large swirl of the meringue directly on top of the curd, encircling the curd to help it stay in place. Then, using a culinary torch, lightly toast the meringue topping. I find using small circular movements help achieve an even toast. Enjoy!

More Spring Recipes:

📖 The Recipe:

The Finished Product:

The most show stopping cookie that boasts the tart, sweet flavors you know and love from a lemon meringue pie. These make the perfect spring, Easter or summer treat!