Lemon Meringue Cookies
With a bright, tart lemon flavor and all the delicate fluffiness of a cloud, these Lemon Meringue Cookies are crisp, light, airy, and not overly sweet. They're easy to make and look great on a cookie tray for entertaining. They're also low calorie so a couple with a cup of tea or coffee is a nice way to start or finish the day.
Servings: 24 (1-inch cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- pinch of salt (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon jello (just the powder)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- yellow food coloring gel (not liquid)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees F with the oven rack in the center position. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper (or two regular-sized cookie sheets, as long as they can both fit in your oven side by side.)
- Combine egg whites, lemon juice, and salt in a large, completely clean, dry, grease-free bowl.
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment), beat on low speed until mixture becomes foamy. Then increase speed to high.
- With mixer on high, slowly and gradually add lemon gelatin powder and powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).
- Beat until mixture is thick, glossy, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (test by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers - it shouldn't feel gritty.)
- Prepare a large piping bag fitted with a star tip (Ateco 846 is what I use) and then draw several lines with the yellow food coloring gel around the bag. Be careful not to smear the lines or your cookies will be all yellow instead of striped with yellow.
- Gently scoop the lemon meringue mixture into the prepared bag, careful not to mix the yellow lines of color.
- Pipe 1x1-inch swirls onto the prepared cookie sheet a 1/2-inch apart.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Turn off the heat, and do not open the oven door. Allow cookies to cool completely in the oven for 1-2 hours before removing. (The cookies should be light, crisp, completely dry, without any color around the edges, and be easily lifted off the parchment paper.)
- Enjoy or store for later.
Notes
Tips and Troubleshooting. Don't miss all the helpful tips included in the article to ensure perfect meringue cookies.
Storage. Directions on properly storing leftover meringue cookies is also included in the article.
Nutrition
Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 5mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 0.01IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 0.3mg | Iron: 0.01mg