Lemon Meringue Roulade

All the best flavors of lemon meringue pie are rolled into this dreamy dessert.

By Micah A Leal

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Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe Summary

total:
2 hrs
active:
30 mins
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This roulade is a delicate and chewy layer of almond meringue rolled with lemon curd, crumbled shortbread cookies, and whipped cream. The swirled log is a delightful combination of textures—the chewy meringue is crisp on the outside but gives way to the smooth gel of the tart lemon curd and the pillowy richness of the whipped cream. The method for making the meringue is slow but reliable. By adding the sugar to the whipping egg whites in slow additions, the sugar has plenty of time to dissolve completely as the meringue stiffens. Once all of the sugar is incorporated, sift and fold in almond flour. This batter bakes into a flexible and chewy sheet of meringue. Using parchment paper, this sheet can be rolled up after being layered with rich and flavorful fillings. After dusting the log with powdered sugar, the same whipped cream and lemon curd that are rolled inside the roulade can be used to decorate the exterior for a professional presentation. Shortbread cookies add a finishing touch to the dessert, and you're left with a combination of creamy, crunchy, and chewy textures that are pleasantly tart and sweet. This dessert offers the best flavors of a lemon meringue pie in an elevated form.

Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9- x- 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper; set aside.

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  • In the bowl of a clean and dry stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine egg whites and salt. Beat on setting 2 and slowly stream in ¼ cup of sugar. Allow to whisk for 2 full minutes. Increase setting to 4 and slowly stream another ¼ cup of sugar; whisk for another 2 minutes. Increase setting to 6 and stream in another ¼ cup sugar; whisk for 2 minutes. Increase to setting 8 and add final ¼ cup sugar, and allow to whisk for another 2 minutes. Increase setting to 10 and allow to whip for final 2 minutes.

  • Add vanilla bean paste and vinegar, and beat on high until well incorporated. Remove bowl and use a spatula to scrape meringue from the whisk attachment into the bowl. Sift almond flour into the bowl and fold until no pockets of almond flour remain. Evenly spread batter into the parchment paper-lined baking dish. Tap dish firmly 3 times against the counter to remove any large bubbles. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

  • Beat together heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer ¼ cup whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

  • Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the meringue layer out of the baking dish. Then use the paper to gently roll the meringue layer to make it more flexible. Return meringue layer to a flat layer and evenly spread ½ cup lemon curd across surface. Crumble 2 shortbread cookies over the lemon curd layer. Spread remaining whipped cream across the surface of the curd and shortbread crumbs. Use the parchment to roll one of the long sides toward the other long side, creating a tightly swirled log.

  • Transfer roll to a serving platter. Dust roll generously with powdered sugar. Use the piping bag of whipped cream to decorate a line of whipped cream dollops along the top of the log. Place remaining ¼ cup lemon curd in a separate piping bag and decorate log with curd and remaining shortbread cookies.

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