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Lemon pastries with meringue cream
Instructions
Scrape the zest from the lemon using a special knife or fine grater. Don't forget to wash the lemon beforehand. Only the yellow part of the peel is suitable for zest, it's better not to touch the white part, otherwise the taste of the pastry may become bitter.
Grate the cold butter on a coarse grater, gradually adding the flour so that the pieces of butter do not stick together. Rub the butter and flour into crumbs. This buttery crumb will be the basis of the shortcrust pastry.
Add the lemon zest, baking powder, raw yolks, powdered sugar and vanillin. Knead the shortcrust pastry from all this, it's better to knead it with your hands.
When the dough becomes homogeneous and elastic, roll it into a ball and place this ball in the refrigerator for 20-25 minutes.
Roll out the chilled raw dough with a rolling pin on a silicone mat or parchment paper. To ensure the pastries are neat and the same size, cut the sheet of dough into a rectangle with sides of 25 cm and 30 cm.
Cut the sheet of dough into 15 equal parts, lay them on a baking tray and send them to the oven. Bake for 11 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees.
Pour water into a saucepan with a thick bottom, add sugar and place the mixture over low heat for 8-9 minutes. A thick and sticky sugar syrup should result. If you see that the syrup is close to turning into caramel, you can remove it from the heat a little earlier. The ideal syrup should not darken or solidify too much. Pour 3 tablespoons of lemon juice into the prepared syrup.
At this time, beat the egg whites in a kitchen machine until stiff peaks form. This should be done in a dry and clean container. For the best results, the whisking container can also be degreased with lemon juice.
Gradually introduce the boiling sugar syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream, while continuously beating them vigorously. Beat for at least 12 minutes. During this time, the protein cream should become homogeneous, cool slightly and thicken. You can add another teaspoon of lemon juice to the finished cream.
Remove the shortcrust pastry from the oven, trim the pieces with a knife. Any excess crumbs can later be used for sprinkling the pastries.
When the cream has completely cooled, spread it on the prepared pieces of dough. The layer of cream should be at least 4 cm high. The edges of the cream layer can be carefully trimmed with a silicone spatula or a large spoon. Sprinkle the pastries on top with the crumbs of the dough. Place the finished lemon pastries in the refrigerator for a few hours.If you want to slightly diversify the classic recipe for lemon pastries with protein cream, you can add a layer of lemon or any other jam between the layers and the cream. This delicious dessert based on shortcrust pastry and protein cream can be made not only with lemon, but also with tangerine, kiwi, pineapple, or even grapefruit.
Tips
- 1
Use chilled butter grated for best finished crumbly texture. Soft butter produces dense pastry; properly chilled butter grated into flour produces the proper signature crumbly shortcrust character authentic to traditional Russian-Soviet shortcrust preparations. The butter-state matters more than home bakers typically realize for finished pastry-quality and overall family-meal success consistently across batches reliably across various entertaining occasions throughout the year for proper traditional Russian-Soviet results consistently.
- 2
Add hot syrup to whipped whites in thin stream for proper finished cream stability. Adding syrup too fast curdles whites; properly thin-stream gradual hot syrup addition with continuous whipping produces the proper signature stable Italian meringue character authentic to traditional shortcrust pastry-based dessert preparations. The same syrup-stream principle elevates many meringue preparations across various traditional international culinary occasions throughout the year reliably.
- 3
Degrease whipping bowl with lemon juice for proper finished volume. Even tiny grease prevents proper whipping; properly degreased bowl (wiped with lemon juice) produces the proper signature stiff-peak character authentic to traditional Russian-Soviet meringue preparations. The patient degreasing principle pays back significantly in finished cream-quality consistently across batches and various meringue-based preparations throughout the year for proper traditional results worth showcasing reliably across various entertaining occasions for proper home-baking results.
- 4
Pair the finished lemon pastries with traditional accompaniments for proper presentation. Serve chilled with hot tea, coffee, alongside fresh berries for substantial dessert spreads, or with dessert wine for elegant entertaining presentations worth showcasing across various Soviet-nostalgic occasions reliably. Pair with crusty homemade bread tea-time accompaniments for substantial brunch dessert spreads throughout the year for proper traditional results worth showcasing reliably across various family-meal occasions throughout the year.
FAQ
Can I use other citrus fruits? +
Yes, tangerine, kiwi, pineapple, grapefruit, or orange all work beautifully as substitutes for lemon producing equally delicious citrus variations. Each option produces distinct character: lemon provides classic Russian-Soviet tart character, tangerine adds delicate sweet notes, kiwi adds tropical tangy character, pineapple adds Caribbean elegance, grapefruit adds elegant bitter complexity, orange adds bright sweet character. Use 1 tablespoon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice. Mix and match citrus fruits for endless variations across various Russian-Soviet meringue dessert traditions throughout the year for proper personalized finished results consistently.
How long do these pastries keep? +
Stored covered in the refrigerator, the pastries keep for 3-4 days at peak quality. The flavors meld and improve over the first 24 hours as components marry beautifully. The meringue cream slightly softens but remains delicious. Keep refrigerated due to egg-white content. The shortcrust base maintains crispness when properly stored. Best consumed within 2-3 days for the brightest most appealing finished results across multiple dessert applications throughout the year reliably across various family-meal occasions throughout the year for proper traditional Russian-Soviet character preserved properly.
Can I add jam between layers? +
Yes, lemon jam, raspberry jam, strawberry jam, apricot jam, or any preserves all work beautifully as additions producing equally delicious enriched variations. Each option produces distinct character: plain shortcrust-meringue provides classic Russian-Soviet character, lemon jam adds matching citrus intensity, berry jams add fruit character, apricot adds golden sweetness, peach jam adds elegant character. Spread thin jam layer on baked shortcrust before adding meringue cream. Mix and match jam-fruit combinations for endless variations across various Russian-Soviet meringue dessert traditions throughout the year for proper personalized finished results consistently.
Why won't my meringue thicken? +
Three usual causes: grease in whipping bowl, syrup not hot enough (boiling), or insufficient whipping time. Address proper bowl-degreasing with lemon juice, fully-boiling hot syrup addition, and minimum 12-minute continuous whipping for consistently thick stable meringue. The combination of clean bowl, hot syrup, and patient whipping produces dramatic structural-quality reliably across various Russian-Soviet meringue preparation sessions throughout the year for proper traditional results consistently across various dessert occasions reliably.
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