Ingredients for Lemon Lighting
- 4 large eggs
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup water
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Lemon
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How to Make Lemon Lighting
- **Lemon Curd (Use recipe #260160 doubled, or follow steps below):**
- In a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler), whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup fresh lemon juice until well combined.
- Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens significantly (about 10-12 minutes).
- Remove from heat and immediately strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
- Whisk in 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, until melted and smooth.
- Stir in the zest of 2 lemons. Let cool completely.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to a week).
- **Shortbread:**
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
- In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Cut in 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press the dough into a 9x13 inch baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
- **Italian Meringue:**
- In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C) on a candy thermometer (firm-ball stage).
- While the syrup simmers, beat 3 large egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer until soft peaks form.
- Slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites while beating on high speed. Continue beating until the meringue is glossy, stiff, and completely cool.
- **Assembly:**
- Whip 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled lemon curd.
- Layer shortbread, lemon curd mixture, lemon slices (about 1 lemon's worth), and more lemon curd mixture in individual serving cups or ramekins.
- Top with a generous dollop of Italian meringue. Use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Lightly caramelize the meringue using a kitchen torch.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving (up to 3 hours).
Nutrition Information (Approximate per serving)
Sodium
26 g
Sugar
335g
Fat
245g
Carbs
39g
