Thank you Julie! I tried replying earlier this morning, but my computer's been having issues.

I made these quite a few years ago. The idea came from my weary brain. In other words, since these were made about 6 years ago, I really cannot remember how many daisies the recipe yielded. But, I know it made a lot, because I kept them bite size. I wish I could be more accurate. Btw, the meringues and lemon curd can easily be prepared weeks in advance, and assembled at the last minute.

The technique is simple, and if you're already familiar with pastry bags and tips, this will be a breeze.

For the meringue base I drew circles (about 2 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper. I turned the paper over and anchored it onto a cookie sheet with a little dot of meringue on each corner. Using a medium star pastry tip -I used #21- I quickly piped the discs onto parchment, then I piped the daisy petals. Pipe the petals close together onto the base itself, to build a "wall" for the lemon filling, later.

Bake daisies for 2 hours. Start watching them closely after about an hour and a half, to make sure the meringues do not take on color - they should remain white.

Meringue Daisies with Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd

4 large egg yolks
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 fluid ounces lemon juice
Unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

In a heavy noncorrodible saucepan, beat the yolks and sugar until blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, but still liquid enough to pour. DonÂt allow the mixture to boil or it will curdle. When the curd has thickened, pour through a strainer. Cool, and store in airtight container in the fridge. The curd will continue to thicken in the refrigerator.

Meringue

4 large egg whites, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup superfine sugar
½ cup confectionerÂs sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200°F. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until mixture gets frothy. Gradually start adding the sugar. Beat for a couple of minutes after each addition. Once it forms soft peaks, add the confectionerÂs sugar and vanilla and beat another 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

Immediately put meringue in a large pastry bag, and pipe the discs following the instructions above. Bake 2 hours in a preheated 200°F oven. Turn off the oven and leave meringues to dry out 1 hour longer. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for about 6 months.

Sol

Thank you! I think these would be so cute at an afternoon tea or shower. I'm taking a decorating class beginning 10/2 so can't wait to practice making "petals"!

Just beautiful and what a presentation they make!

They are lovely. As Sol said, they can be assembled at the last minute, and my previous experience with meringues tells me that they should NOT be assembled hours ahead of time, as the meringue will start to dissolve from the dampness of the lemon curd. Should be OK for an hour or so.

How much butter should be used in the lemon curd?