Lemon Meringue Crumble-Style Cookies

Ingredients

• Caster sugar (Amount not stated in the source)
• 115 g Margarine (Use room-temperature unsalted butter instead if preferred)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 Egg (Medium and at room temperature)
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice (For the cookie dough)
• 250 g Plain flour
• 0.5 tsp Bicarbonate of soda (Also called baking soda)
• 100 g White chocolate chips
• 125 g Icing sugar (Add half initially; the source mentions the full 125 g for the buttercream)
• 110 g Unsalted butter (For the American buttercream)
• Lemon juice (Use 1–2 tbsp for the buttercream; use 1 tbsp for a subtler flavor or 2 tbsp for a stronger lemon flavor)
• Lemon curd (Begin with about one-quarter of the jar; exact jar size is not stated)
• Meringue (Crushed into small pieces for topping)
• Lemon (Cut into small slices for decoration)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the caster sugar, 115 g margarine, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat until light, creamy, and just combined; do not overmix.

2. 2

   Add the medium room-temperature egg and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Mix until fully combined. The mixture may look curdled at this stage; this is normal.

3. 3

   Add the plain flour and bicarbonate of soda. If using a hand mixer, switch to a spatula; otherwise continue with the stand mixer paddle. Mix until a smooth, cohesive dough forms that is not runny.

4. 4

   Add the white chocolate chips and fold them through until evenly distributed. The cookie dough is now complete.

5. 5

   Refrigerate the dough for about 10 minutes. While it chills, preheat the oven to 190°C for a conventional oven or 170°C for a fan oven.

6. 6

   Line two baking trays with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, portion four balls of dough onto each tray.

7. 7

   Press down the tops of the dough balls so they form discs rather than rounded balls. This helps create the flat crumble-cookie shape.

8. 8

   Bake for about 10–12 minutes, beginning to check at 10 minutes, until the cookies are flat and lightly golden, particularly around the edges. Avoid overbaking because the cookies continue cooking after they leave the oven.

9. 9

   If the cookies still look slightly raised when they come out of the oven, gently tap the top of each one with a tablespoon to flatten it. Leave the cookies to cool further while preparing the buttercream.

10. 10

    For the American buttercream, place the 110 g unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer until it becomes lighter in color and fluffy, changing from yellow to a pale off-white. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

11. 11

    Add half of the icing sugar and mix it into the creamed butter.

12. 12

    Add 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice, choosing 1 tablespoon for a subtler buttercream or 2 tablespoons for a stronger lemon flavor. Mix for about 2–3 minutes until the buttercream is very light and fluffy, with a whipped-ice-cream-like consistency.

13. 13

    Using a spoon, spread a light layer of buttercream over each cooled cookie, keeping the surface fairly flat.

14. 14

    Use a teaspoon to make a small swirl or shallow indentation in the center of each buttercream-covered cookie.

15. 15

    Place about one-quarter of the lemon curd into a piping bag, cut off a small tip, and pipe a small swirl of lemon curd into the center of each cookie. Add less initially because lemon curd is tart and more can be added if needed.

16. 16

    Crush the meringue into small pieces and sprinkle them over the cookies.

17. 17

    Finish each cookie with a small slice of lemon for decoration. Keep the finished cookies in the refrigerator on a hot day because of the buttercream.

Notes

The source does not state the amount of caster sugar, the amount or jar size of lemon curd, or the quantity of meringue and lemon used for decoration. It also mentions 125 g icing sugar but only explicitly instructs adding half initially; the remaining amount is not clearly described in the transcript. The cookies continue cooking after removal from the oven, so avoid overbaking.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cookies
• baked
• summer
• lemon
• white chocolate
• meringue
• vegetarian