Lemon Meringues

COOKIE:
1 1/2 cups flour
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut 10 pieces
1 large egg yolk

LEMON CURD:
1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
1/3 cup + 1 tbl. fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup + 1 tbl. sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

MERINGUE:
4 large egg whites, room temp
1 pinch salt
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare cookie dough: Place flour and both sugars in food processor, and process 5 seconds. Distribute butter over flour mix and process until resembles coarse meal (20 seconds). With machine running, add egg yolk thru feed tube. Stop machine and scrape bowl, and process until yolk has been absorbed and dough is just coming together, 30 seconds. Form dough into 2 logs, each about 4 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inch diameter. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Next prepare the curd: In a small cup, stir gelatin into lemon juice until dissolved. Place yolks and sugar in small saucepan, and mix to blend. Add gelatin mixture to yolk mixture and stir. then cook mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until it just comes to a boil and starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and pour mixture thru strainer, then stir in butter. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate both the curd and cookie dough for 4-6 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 375�F. Fit pastry bag with 1/4" round tip, and place bag in tall glass. Lightly grease baking sheets. Unwrap dough logs and cut into slices that are generous 1/8" thick. Place 1" apart on baking sheets and bake until edges golden, 10-11 minutes. While cookies are baking, prepare meringue: Place egg whites in top of double boiler. Add salt and stir with whisk till foamy but not stiff. Whisk in powder sugar a teaspoon at a time, then whisk in vanilla. Place double boiler over low heat and continue stirring meringue with whisk till thickens, about 8 minutes. Fill pastry bag with meringue.

When cookies are done, remove from oven. Place generous 1/2 tsp of curd in center of each, then pipe a mound of meringue over top. Return cookies to oven and bake until meringue starts to golden, 8-9 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire racks for 4 hours. Should be eaten same day baked.