Lemon Meringue Cream Puffs

A fun twist on lemon meringue - these delicious cream puffs are filled with a bright and light lemon curd filling and topped with a golden meringue crown.

I am so excited to share this new recipe with you guys! It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to get in the kitchen and test new recipes for the blog! I have been wanting to make Lemon Meringue Cream Puffs for a while now. I could just picture how beautiful the cream puffs would look with the toasted meringue on top. Plus I love using my kitchen torch!

The combination of the tart lemon curd with the sweet meringue is delicious. I made my lemon curd with limoncello liqueur but you can always sub it out for lemon juice (you can follow this recipe here). I made these for a dinner party my friend was hosting. Each course was paired with a different cocktail. So instead of pairing my dessert with a drink - I choose to make a boozy dessert! They were a huge hit with everyone at the party! I love a dessert that is simple and easy to eat.

Pate a Choux

I have been loving making pate a choux - ever since I first made these chocolate cream puffs! The Pate a Choux pastry is cooked first on the stove then in the oven. Technically you just need water, butter, flour and eggs to make choux - but I like to add a bit of sugar and salt to my recipe. I’ve also seen it made with milk - but I have yet to try a recipe with milk and have stuck to the traditional water only dough. The pastry rises due to the steam trapped in the pastry. The puffs are airy and light with a golden brown crust. You want your choux to be light and airy on the inside and crisp on the outside.

Whipped Lemon Curd Cream Filling

I filled these lemon meringue cream puffs with two fillings. One is a lemon whipped cream and the other is lemon curd. I used the lemon curd to flavour my whipped cream. It is a lighter filling - which is pipped into the cream puff first. The lemon curd is then pipped into the cream puff creating a more intensely flavoured centre.

Lemon Meringue Cream Puffs

Ingredients

Pate a Choux

1 c water

1/2 c butter, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1 c flour

4 eggs

Lemon Curd

3 egg yolks

¾  c sugar

¼ c water

2 tbsp limoncello liqueur

Zest from lemon

2 tbsp butter, cut into cubes

Whipped Cream

1 1/2 c heavy cream (35%)

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Meringue

3 egg whites

1 c sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 425F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water, butter, salt & sugar. Simmer until the butter has melted and the mixture comes to a light boil. Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Place the mixture back on the heat and continue to stir until the mixture starts to come off the sides of the pan and a ball forms.

Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 4-5 minutes. Stir in eggs one at a time. The mixture will break or come apart with each addition but should come back together before you add the additional egg. Your pastry should be shinny and of a smooth consistency.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (I used a coupler) and pipe about 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Use a small amount of water to smooth out peak on each dough mound.

Bake for 10 minutes for at 425F, then drop oven temperature to 375F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow shells to cool completely before filling.

To make the Lemond Curd - In a saucepan combine egg yolks, sugar, water, limoncello and zest. Simmer over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture starts to thicken and boil. Allow mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes then stir in butter. Boil for an additional 1-2 minutes then remove from heat. Allow to cool completely.

To make the lemon whipped cream - In the bowl of stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whisk over high speed until medium to stiff peaks form - about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not over whip. Fold half of the lemon curd into the whipped cream.

To make the frosting - Over a double boiler heat together the egg white and sugar for 5 -7 minutes, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to a clean kitchenaid mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 5 - 7 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form.

To Assemble - Fill a pipping bag fitted with a round tip (Wilton 12 or a coupler works well) with the lemon whipped cream. Poke your pipping tip into the bottom of a cooled cream puff shell. Pipe the lemon whipped cream filling into the cream puff until about 2/3rds full. Fill a second pipping bag fitted with a round tip with the remaining lemon curd. Pipe the lemon curd into the bottom of the cream puffs layering it at the bottom of the lemon whipped cream. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with the meringue. Pipe meringue onto the tops of the cream puffs. Using a kitchen torch brown meringue.

Lemon Rosemary Meringue Cake

A delicious, savoury twist on a classic dessert. This Lemon Rosemary Meringue Cake is a winning combination.

Last week we went for dinner at a new restaurant in town that I have been super excited to try. They are known for their small sharing plates and delicious cocktails - two of my favourite things. The meal was delicious - it started with a cheese board and ended with a lemon rosemary dessert that came in a jar. As soon as I had my first bite of dessert, I knew that I wanted to recreate something similar. I decided to use the same flavours - the lemon, the rosemary and a meringue but change up the actual dessert and create a cake instead. 

I love the combination of the lemon with the rosemary. The rosemary brings a fresh unexpected twist to these otherwise classic flavours. I think its fun to use something typically savoury and turn it into a dessert. It adds a level of complexity to the flavours. 

We have to talk about the lemon curd filling. I considered making it its own post because its just that good. I could go on and on and on about it. But I will keep it short. Make it. Put it on everything (or eat it with a spoon). You can thank me later.  It has the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the tart of the lemon and the egg yolks give it a beautiful yellow hue. Not only is it delicious but helps to keep this cake super moist.   

The meringue frosting is quick and easy to make. It whips up to a beautiful glossy shine and browns up nicely under a boiler (or you can use a kitchen torch - which I really need to invest in!). To brown the top of my cake using the oven, I preheated my oven to the broiler setting. I filled, stacked and frosted the cake on a piece of parchment paper and transferred the cake to a clean baking tray. The meringue will brown quickly in the oven, so be sure to keep a close eye on it! It will only take a minute or two for the meringue to brown.

Lemon Rosemary Meringue Cake

Makes: One 6 inch cake

For the Cake 

1 c sugar
Zest, from 1 lemon
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
1 ½ c cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½  c butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
½  c milk

For the Lemon Curd

3 egg yolks
¾  c sugar
¼ c water
¼ lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
Zest from lemon
¼ c butter, cut into cubes

For the Frosting

3 egg whites
1 c sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 6 inch round baking pan, set aside. In a food processor, pulse together the sugar, lemon zest and rosemary, until just combined and the rosemary is broken down into smaller pieces. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, on medium-high speed cream together butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Slowly alternate adding in the milk and flour mixture, ending with the dry. Mix until just incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the Lemond Curd - In a saucepan combine egg yolks, sugar, water, lemon juice and zest. Simmer over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture starts to thicken and boil. Allow mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes then stir in butter. Boil for an additional 1-2 minutes then remove from heat. Allow to cool completely

To make the frosting - Over a double boiler heat together the egg white and sugar for 5 -7 minutes, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to a clean kitchenaid mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high for 5 - 7 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form.

To assemble the cake - Torte cake into three even layers. Place your bottom layer on parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of meringue followed by a generous layer of lemon curd.  Top with your second layer of cake, repeat filling process and top with your final layer of cake. Using an off set spatula, frost cake with an even layer of meringue. If desired, brown meringue using a kitchen torch or oven broiler. If using the broiler, transfer your cake to a baking tray. Place in oven for 1-2 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. 

Lemon Blueberry Scones

These lemon blueberry scones are bursting with flavour while being light and moist! The juicy sweet blueberries pair perfectly with the bright tartness of the lemon! Enjoy with cup of tea or coffee!

 The combination of lemon blueberry reminds me of spring and I am hoping that these scones inspire some spring weather! I am so over winter and all the snow. I am ready for some warmer days and pretty spring flowers.  

I love that scones are so quick and easy to make! They only take a few minutes to mix together and they only take around 15 minutes in the oven. All in all, you can have a fresh batch of scones in a half hour! Which is particularly awesome, if like me, you decide you HAVE to make scones at 10:30PM on a Monday evening. 

These lemon blueberry scones are full of flavour! The lemon brightens these scones and brings a delicious fresh flavour to them. While the blueberries add sweetness. The scones are deliciously buttery and have the perfect crumb. They make for a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack. I love them with a warm mug of tea (or coffee!).  

Lemon Blueberry Scones 

Makes 8 Scones

Ingredients

1 ½ c flour

¼ c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Zest, from 1 lemon

½ c butter, grated

½ c heavy cream

1 egg

1 c blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Using either a pastry cutter, a fork or your hands, cut cold butter into flour mixture. Course crumbs should form, almost like a wet sand.

In a small bowl, beat together egg and cream. Add liquid ingredients to flour and butter mixture. Mix until just combined. Add in the blueberries . Mix until incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until combined. Shape dough into a large circular shape, about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal triangular pieces. Spaced evenly apart, place scones onto prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with extra cream.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Allow scones to cool on baking sheet before transferring to serving platter. Store in airtight container.