I know toppers probably really isn’t an official dictionary word,  but I thought it was the perfect for the tops of these cute tarts.

Lemon Mini Meringue Cookie Toppers

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Supplies needed:

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*Double Boiler

*Hand or Stand Mixer

*Pastry Bag with Tip (I used 2D )

* Parchment Paper

*2 Half Baking Sheets

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Lemon Meringue Ingredients:

*3 Egg Whites

*1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

*Dash Sea Salt

*Dash Cream of Tartar

*Zest of 1 Lemon

*Yellow Food Coloring Gel, 4 drops or as desired

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Instructions:

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Whisk egg whites and sugar slightly in a small glass bowl. Then place the bowl that will fit nicely over a sauce pan. Adding water to the sauce pan about 1/4-1/3 full of water making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl, making a double boiler. You can use a ready-made double boiler.

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Place sauce pan over medium-low heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes not to exceed 150*F. Stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.

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Remove bowl and mix the egg white mixture, add the cream of tartar, salt and beat on high-speed with hand mixer or stand mixer (make sure if using a stand mixing bowl is clean with no residue of oils etc… (Hint: Rub a half cut lemon to clean the bowl by rubbing it around the inside of bowl.) using the whisk attachment, about 8-10 minutes until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

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Gently fold in the lemon zest and food coloring.

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Using a pastry bag with a drop flower tip 2D. I place the point of pastry bag with tip into a tall glass and fold the large open end of the bag over the edge of the rim of the glass. Then spoon in the meringue mixture into the bag about and fill about 2/3 full. Remove the filled bag from the glass and twist the open end closed. Then on 2 pieces of parchment paper on the half asking sheets, pipe meringue dots by pressing the tip to the parchment paper and squeezing at the top of the bag, making the size of meringue cookies/toppers desired.

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Bake the meringue cookies at 200*F. for 1 hour or more (more because humidity is different depending on where you live and the weather) until crisp. Baking them low and slow is important. After baking allow the cookies to cool on the parchment paper on baking sheet before removing.

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Note: I had 2 ovens to bake them in, I’ve never tried baking the 2 pans in one oven, so if you do this baking could take longer.

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The quantity of cookies depends on the size of meringue cookie you pipe. I made about 1-1 1/2 inch mini cookie toppers for my mini lemon tarts. Making around 170 cookie toppers.

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Store cookie toppers in an airtight container for up to 1-2 weeks.

Recipe Source Jen’s Favorite Cookies

See Lemon Tarts with Cookie Crust or Mini Lemon Tarts with Mixed Nut Crust

Enjoy!

Lindy