Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon or lime
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Few drops yellow or green food coloring (optional)
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract or lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
55 grams granulated sugar
90 grams egg white (3 large egg whites)
Zest of one lemon or lime
155 grams confectioner’s sugar
110 grams super fine almond meal/flour
Step by step
Using a 1 1/2″ round cookie cutter, draw circles on the back of parchment paper and line the Half Sheet Pan from your KitchenAid® Professional-Grade Nonstick Quarter Sheet and Half Sheet Pan with the parchment paper, marked-side down.
Using the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series 16-Cup Food Processor, pulse the powdered sugar, almond flour and zest into a fine powder. Sift the mixture several times until there is less than 2 tablespoons of almond bits left. Discard leftovers and set the sifted mixture aside.
In the bowl of your KitchenAid® Professional 600™ Series 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer fitted with the whisk, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar. Whip on medium-high speed (4 or 6) until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Add the food coloring and lemon extract and whip for another minute.
Add the dry ingredients to the meringue and fold with a rubber spatula. Gently fold to deflate the meringue by pressing against the side of bowl and scooping from bottom until batter is smooth and shiny; about 20-25 folds. To check the consistency, use a spatula to scrape up some of the mixture. When the mixture is loose enough to fall off your spatula, stop folding. Start checking the batter after 20 folds.
Transfer batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe the batter onto the pre-traced circles on the Half Sheet Pan. Tap the Half Sheet Pan hard on the counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter. Let shells sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes or until dry to touch.
Preheat your KitchenAid® Electric Convection Slide-In Range to 300°F. Bake the meringue for 11-15 minutes or until shells harden. Cool completely on the Half Sheet Pan before peeling from the parchment.
For the filling and assembly
Whip butter with your Stand Mixer on a speed of 2 until light and creamy. Then, add your powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon or lime zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract and whip for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, sandwich the filling between two meringue shells. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow to get to room temperature before enjoying!