A meringue outer circle with a fresh, creamy lemon-lime filling. These can be Easter Nests, or tint them green and they become Christmas Meringue Wreaths. These are larger than a cookie, they are more like dessert-sized.
Ingredients
- For the meringue
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
- For the filling
3 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
3/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
multi-colored jelly beans for spring
Directions
- Make the meringues
- Preheat oven to 275º F. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Using a 3″ round cookie cutter, trace 6 circles, 2″ apart, on the waxed paper. To prepare meringue, beat together egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue mixture into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Trace around each circle, then fill the circles. Pipe 2 layers of meringue around outside edges of circle, forming a nest shape. Bake meringues for 45 minutes or until firm and dry. Turn off oven; let meringues stand in oven with the door closed for 2 hours or overnight.
- Make the filling:
- To prepare filling, in the top of a double broiler set over simmering (not boiling) water, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon juice, lime juice, lemon peel, and lime peel. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat add butter, stirring until melted. Pour the filling into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Press the wrap onto the surface of the mixture. Chill 2 – 3 hours. Spoon filling evenly into meringue shells. Garnish with jelly beans for Easter nests.