What is Swiss meringue vs French meringue?

French meringue is the simplest type of meringue, and probably what you think of as regular meringue. It's a combination of raw egg whites and sugar whipped to a fluffy airy texture that resembles whipped cream. Swiss meringue is similar, but before whipping, the sugar and egg whites are heated over a double broiler. This results in a slightly denser meringue but it's still silky smooth and fluffy. I prefer Swiss meringue because unlike French meringue, there are no raw eggs . It's also more stable (holds up way longer) and easier to work with. And, since the sugar is melted, there's no risk of it being grainy or sandy in texture.

Can you make lemon curd without cornstarch?

Yes! A traditional lemon curd recipe won't contain any cornstarch. Just egg yolks or whole eggs, lemon juice, sugar, and butter. I added cornstarch to make mine a little thicker to use as a cookie and pie filling.

Lemon Meringue Cookies (Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies)

Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies

lemon meringue cookies on a yellow surface surrounded by lemon halves and graham cracker pieces

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Soft and chewy cookies made with graham cracker crumbs, filled with vibrant tart lemon curd, and topped with fluffy toasted meringue. These lemon meringue cookies have all the same flavors as lemon meringue pie, in a cookie version!

Author: Kelly @ Butter and Thyme
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Category: Cookies, Dessert
Method: baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Lemon Curd Filling

3 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lemon juice (from approx. 2-3 lemons)
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter (cold, diced)

For the Graham Cracker Cookies

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (8 full double sheets, finely ground)
1 2/3 cup flour

For the Swiss Meringue Topping

3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

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Instructions

Make lemon curd: in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks (reserving the egg whites for the meringue), whole eggs, cornstarch, and salt. In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice and sugar, and bring to a low boil, then turn off the heat. Using a ladle or liquid measuring cup with a spout, slowly add the hot lemon mixture to the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Then, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and set over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened (180-190 °F). Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in the cold diced butter. Let the lemon curd cool slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent a crust from forming, then transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
Make thumbprint cookie dough: cream together butter, ¼ cup sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix until well combined. Then add the graham cracker crumbs and flour and mix until just combined*.
Bake thumbprint cookies: preheat oven to 350 °F. Roll balls of cookie dough (1.5 tbsp each) in the remaining 2 tbsp. of granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper spaced at least 2 inches apart. Then, flatten the cookies slightly with your palm, and press down in the center with your thumb or a spoon to create an indentation. Bake the cookies (unfilled) for 10 minutes*.
Fill cookies with lemon curd: after you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately fill them with the prepared lemon curd*. Let the cookies cool for about 15 minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to completely set.
Make Swiss meringue: combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler set up), and slowly heat the egg white mixture, stirring and scraping the bowl constantly with a flexible rubber spatula, until it registers 165-170°F. Immediately transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and whip for 5 minutes on medium-high until it's thick and glossy.
Top lemon curd cookies with meringue: transfer meringue to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe on top of the cookies. Alternatively, spread a layer of meringue on top of the cookies with a spatula or butter knife. Then, use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the meringue (optional).

Notes

Once you make the dough, you can chill it for a few hours or overnight before forming the cookies.
When you bake the cookies as they spread, the indentation will not be as defined. So when you take them out of the oven, use a spoon to reinforce the center indent before filling them with lemon curd.
It's ok if the lemon curd is still a little warm or isn't fully set when you fill the cookies. The lemon filling will finish setting and continue to thicken in the refrigerator.
Store cookies in the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Cookies should be eaten within 2 days.

Find it online: https://butterandthyme.com/lemon-meringue-pie-cookies/