I spent Easter with my Auntie, Uncle and Cousins. My Auntie made this incredible meringue with lemon curd and it tasted amazing! She gave me her lemon curd recipe and I wanted to try something a bit different so looked for inspiration online and found this recipe. I know the last recipe I did was lemon icing butterfly buns, so there's a definite lemon thing going on right now, however I couldn't not give this one a go. Here's how it went anyway...
MAKES: 12 PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES
THE LEMON CURD
Heat the lemon juice, egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water
Once the sugar is dissolved slowly add the butter cubes and gently stir until melted
Keep stirring over the heat until the mixture leaves a coating on the back of the spoon and doesn't drip off quickly
Keep stirring over the heat until the mixture leaves a coating on the back of the spoon and doesn't drip off quickly
Leave to cool
*TIP - Once you've added the butter it will look like it has spilt, don't worry it hasn't, just keep stirring for 10-15 minutes on a low heat and it will come together eventually. If it looks like it isn't, gently give it a whisk*
*TIP - Once you've added the butter it will look like it has spilt, don't worry it hasn't, just keep stirring for 10-15 minutes on a low heat and it will come together eventually. If it looks like it isn't, gently give it a whisk*
THE CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 180⁰C, 350⁰F, Gas Mark 4
Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until pale, light and fluffy
Crack the eggs into the mixture one at a time with a little flour for each until they are fully combined
Fold in the remaining flour and lemon zest
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and add a tsp(ish!) of lemon curd to the top of each
Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes on the middle shelf until golden-brown
THE MERINGUE
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl (make sure the bowl is freshly cleaned as grease will effect the mixture) until peaks form when the whisk is removed
Gradually add the sugar whilst whisking the mixture
Continue whisking until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed and the mixture is thick and glossy
*TIP - Make sure the stiff meringue peaks are really stiff otherwise they will collapse later on once they've been grilled*
*TIP - Make sure the stiff meringue peaks are really stiff otherwise they will collapse later on once they've been grilled*
TO FINISH
Turn off the oven and preheat the grill to it's highest setting
Spoon the meringue over the cupcakes and pull into spikes using a fork
Place the cupcakes until the grill for 2-3 minutes until the meringue is golden
Remove from the grill and leave to cool
*TIP - Watch them when they are under the grill, they go from golden to burnt in seconds!*
*TIP - Watch them when they are under the grill, they go from golden to burnt in seconds!*
Hope you enjoy this one. It seems complicated but it really isn't. You can always make more lemon curd as well use it for other little treats like lemon tarts...
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