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Lemon Meringue Toaster Strudel

prep 1 hour
cook 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
total 1 hour 40 minutes
Serves 6 servings
Super easy puff pastry stuffed with fresh homemade lemon curd and topped with marshmallow-y toasted vanilla meringue. 
Author: Bernice Baran
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets puff pastry (1 box) , thawed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 30 mL milk

Lemon Curd

  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 large lemon, zested, or 2 small
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 60 mL lemon juice, 1 large or 2 small lemons
  • 42 grams salted butter, room temperature

Toasted Meringue

  • 100 grams granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or extract
  • tiny pinch fine sea salt

Method

Lemon Curd

  1. Combine the sugar, eggs, lemon juice & zest, butter and salt in a small nonstick or enameled (NOT metal) saucepan over medium-low heat.*
    50 grams granulated sugar, 1 large lemon, zested or 2 small, 1 large egg room temperature, 1 large egg yolk room temperature, 60 mL lemon juice 1 large or 2 small lemons, 42 grams salted butter room temperature
    ingredients for lemon curd mixed together
  2. Whisk continuously until it thickens, about 5 minutes, just until it reaches about 170F (77C) - don't go over. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
    lemon curd coats the back of a spoon
  3. While it’s still hot, press the curd through a sieve into another bowl/jar, cover it and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Store covered in the refrigerator.
    discarded chunks from lemon curd.
  4. Once the puff pastry is thawed (can still be cold), roll out both sheets a little bit and slice each into 6 rectangles (you can roll it a little more and cut them into 8 smaller rectangles if you want but the smaller they are the less filling you get).
    2 sheets puff pastry (1 box) thawed
  5. Spread about 2 Tbsp of lemon curd onto each one, leaving a good edge to seal with the top.
  6. Mix the egg yolk with the milk and then brush the edges of the pastry around the lemon curd and place the top layer of puff pastry on top of the lemon curd and seal the edges using the back end of a fork.
    1 large egg yolk, 30 mL milk
  7. Brush the whole top layer of puff pastry with the egg wash and place in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 400F (204C).

Toasted Meringue

  1. Bring a small pot with a little water to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer (keep it on very low heat).
  2. Wipe down your equipment with a tiny bit of vinegar or lemon juice (any edible acid) and then place the sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisking them together.
    100 grams granulated sugar, 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
  3. Add the egg whites to the bowl and whisk the egg whites into the sugar. Place the bowl of egg whites and sugar on top of the simmering water (making sure it doesn’t submerge into the water) – you want the steam to heat the egg whites.
    2 large egg whites
  4. Whisk the egg whites frequently so they don’t coagulate around the edge of the bowl. Generally around 5 minutes, the sugar will feel like it’s dissolved in the egg whites but you want to take the egg whites to 175F (80C) in order to get that stable, marshmallowy texture, which is normally around 10 minutes for me. So make sure to check the temperature with a thermometer between the 5-10 minutes (it may take up to 15 minutes).
  5. Once it’s at 175F (80C), turn the stove off, remove the bowl from the simmering pot and place it on the stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed for a minute and then increase to medium-high for about 10 minutes.
  6. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix, that just until it’s combined, making sure to scrape the edge of the bowl as well. The texture should be thick and marshmallow – not dry or foamy.
    2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, tiny pinch fine sea salt
  7. Use a piping bag fit with a round tip to pipe the meringue on top of the cooled toaster strudel. Use a culinary torch to toast the top of the meringue. Feel free to top it with a little more lemon curd if you want.

Notes

  • Store bought lemon curd will work as well but I don't particularly love any of them to recommend. 
  • These are best served fresh because the puff pastry may get soggy if it's refrigerated or frozen after baking. 
  • If you need the meringue to be SUPER stable you can add gelatin to it. I just dissolve a 1/8 tsp of gelatin in 1 tsp of cold water. Let it set for a few minutes and then microwave it for 5 seconds. Add it in with the vanilla and salt, mixing just until it’s well combined. It’ll set once it’s refrigerated.
     
     

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 644kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 9gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 281mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 311IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
Course: Pies & Tarts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon curd, lemon meringue, meringue