My recipe for Lemon Meringue Bites with Phyllo Cups is the ultimate springtime dessert to share with loved ones. They are tasty, adorable, and elegant. Even better, these little bites of heaven only take 15 minutes to make from start to finish! If you’ve never tried lemon curd before, believe me when I say you’re in for a treat. I’ve been in love with it ever since I first tasted it in Ireland. It’s also surprisingly easy to make at home with only four simple ingredients!
INGREDIENTS
Lemon Curd
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
Zest of 2 lemons
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For the “Crust”
24 miniature phyllo cups
For the Brown Sugar Meringue Topping
½ cup (4 large) egg whites, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup water
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place 24 miniature phyllo cups on a baking sheet pan. Divide the lemon curd equally among the cups. Set aside while you prepare the meringue.
2. Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Let the egg whites sit while you prepare the brown sugar water mixture.
3. Place the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat mixture on high to the soft-ball stage (245 degrees). Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. Do not stir the mixture. You can, however, “swirl” the pan now and then to remove any excess sugar buildup that may form on the pan side. Stirring the mixture can cause the sugar to turn into small lumps and crystallize.
4. While the sugar mixture is cooking, start whipping the egg whites on medium speed. When the whites are foamy, add the cream of tartar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the egg whites are fairly stiff. If the egg whites are done before the sugar mixture reaches 245 degrees, just reduce the speed to low. You want to keep movement in the bowl.
5. When the sugar mixture reaches 245 degrees, set the mixer speed on medium. While mixing, slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the mixer with the egg whites. When all the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for 5 to 6 minutes. The mixture should be very stiff but still slightly warm. You can tell when the meringue is done by placing your hands on the bottom of the bowl. When it’s no longer hot, the meringue is cool enough to use.
6. Using a teaspoon or a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, top each miniature pie with a generous dollop of meringue. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the meringue topping. The pie bites can be served immediately or frozen at this stage. Just remove frozen tartlets about 15 minutes before serving and give the meringue a “touch up” with your kitchen torch!
