Monday, February 25, 2008

Meringue Kisses with Lemon Curd

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine and Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Makes about 24 meringue kisses and about 1 2/3 cups lemon curd.

I love seeing local eggs at Lost River Market & Deli. I consider each and every one of those colorful eggs a gift. We now have several sources of local eggs at the store, but I was delighted to see Darren & Espri's eggs from their Brambleberry Farm in our dairy case. So to celebrate, I'm including this delicously sweet-tart dessert that can be made using eggs. The meringues and the curd can be made ahead and makes a lovely presentation for a special gathering or even a tea party. It's been my experience that no man can turn down a lemon dessert at any time. The kisses and curd might be a dainty girly-looking dessert, but the men in your life will love the fact that it tastes almost exactly like lemon meringue pie and they get to dunk---I mean, dip!

Meringue Kisses

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 200°F. and butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating, and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Drop heaping teaspoons (not measuring spoons) of meringue about 1 inch apart onto baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven 1 hour more. With a metal spatula transfer meringues to a rack to cool completely. Meringue kisses may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Lemon Curd
Besides using this curd for dipping the meringues in, you can also serve this tangy treat with biscuits, toast, or scones or spread it between the layers of a cake.
3 lemons
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Finely grate enough zest from lemons to measure 2 teaspoons and squeeze enough juice to measure 1/2 cup. In a metal bowl whisk together zest, juice, sugar, and eggs. Cut butter into 4 pieces and add to mixture. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook mixture, whisking occasionally, until thickened and smooth, about 20 minutes. Lemon curd may be kept, chilled and its surface covered with plastic wrap, 3 days. Serve lemon curd warm or chilled.

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