That one up there in a left got a little charred! It was a lot of fun to use the blowtorch... |
I love lemon meringue pies. There are not that many sweet pies that are widely served in Australia, in comparison to the US where when you say pie, it's assumed you mean a dessert. In Australia, when you say pie, people will want to know if you want the tomato sauce on top or on the side.
I simply adore this book. It's an heirloom. |
Such awesome photography. |
Sexy lemons. |
I love the yellow colour of this curd, which really comes from the yolk, not the lemon. |
The cupcakes start like this... |
...then they go like this... |
...then they go like this! |
With these cupcakes, I decided to pair them with a Swiss Meringue. Personally, I get a little weirded out by raw meringue. I love lemon meringue pie but if I start to think about the egg whites being raw, it can totally turn me off my slice.
Perfectly baked little cupcakes. |
Lovely, glossy Swiss Meringue! |
Lovely, lemony cupcake. I love that melon baller. |
A nicely swirled pile of meringue, before being subjected to FIRE! |
Action shot! Notice the charring of the cupcake wrapper. Oops! |
Ahhhhhh *angels singing* |
A little bit of cupcake styling. |
Cupcake and lemon, sitting in a tree... |
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue
Adapted from the Australian and New Zealand Complete Book of Cookery and Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Total time: 60 mins
Servings: 15 cupcakes
Lemon Curd Filling
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon cornflour
20g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
Rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks, free range
Lemony Cupcakes
110g softened butter
230g caster sugar
2 eggs, free range
150g plain cake flour
125g self-raising cake flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Swiss Meringue
6 egg white, free range
300g caster sugar
Lemon Curd Filling
- To make lemon curd filling, place water, cornflour, butter, caster sugar, lemon rind and juice in a small saucepan.
- Whisk over a medium heat until at a fast simmer and then whisk continuously for a further 22 minutes.
- Take off the heat and stir for another minute then add egg yolks, while continuing to whisk.
- Allow to cool while you prepare the cupcakes and Swiss meringue.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 12-hole cupcake tin.
- Beat the sugar and butter together until lighter in colour.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift the flours into one bowl and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, in three lots, starting and finishing with the flour.
- Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full, or about 50g on scales.
- Bake for 23 minutes.
- Allow to cool while you prepare the Swiss Meringue.
- Wipe a bowl with a paper towel dampened with lemon juice.
- Add egg whites to the bowl with the sugar and simmer over a pot of water whisking constantly but gently until temperature reaches 55°C or until the sugar has dissolved.
- Whisk egg whites and sugar until the meringue is thick and glossy and egg whites have reached room temperature.
- Scoop out a small amount of the cupcakes with a teaspoon or a melon baller. Put the bit aside.
- Fill cavity with a generous teaspoon of lemon curd filling.
- Replace the cut-out cupcake piece.
- Pipe or spoon on the Swiss meringue and pass a kitchen blowtorch over the meringue until nicely golden. Alternatively, place the cupcakes back into a 200°C oven until nicely golden.