If you love eclairs, you will love this lemon version! These Delicious Lemon Meringue Eclairs are filled with creamy lemon curd and topped with toasted meringue. Not only are they beautiful, but so delicious!
What Makes These Lemon Eclairs So Good?
If you are a lover of pate a choux dough like me, you wouldn't even need to ask this question, but let me explain anyway!
I think this is the perfect blend of delicious choux, creamy, and tart lemon curd, and delicious meringue. It really has it all!
This is a dessert that is a show stopper. They are really beautiful and perfect for showing off your baking skills.
If you have never tried making eclairs, let me show you just how simple it can be!
Ingredients
- Lemon Curd- I have a post written up all about my favorite lemon curd. You can also purchase lemon curd if you prefer.
- Milk
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Cream of tartar
How To Make Make The Choux Dough
Remember the lemon curd will need to be made first. Head over to my blog post to learn about making this simple curd. The curd recipe is thick and perfect for filling these eclairs.
Once that is made and chilled, let's start on the pate a choux dough. While it isn't hard, let me show you how to get the best results.
Preheat your oven while you are making the dough. You want the finished dough to go into a hot oven, so make sure it is ready when you are.
Add your eggs to a small bowl and mix well.
Add water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a medium-sized pan and heat until is just under a bowl and the butter is melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the flour. Once it is mixed in, return to medium heat and stir continuously for about 3-4 minutes.
Pull from heat and add it to your stand mixer bowl or a bowl for mixing in. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then with the mixer turned on (stand or hand), start to add in the egg mixture. You will want to add this in 5 or 6 batches. That means less than 1 egg per time. Mix, then check. It needs to be mixed at least 30 seconds-1 minute after each addition.
The dough will get glossy, but still, be thick.
Once it is mixed, it is time to pipe. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, pipe 3-4 inch tubes of dough. You can see in the video how I piped mine. This is the piping tip I used.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool.
Once they are cool, cut them in half with a sharp knife. Then fill and put the top back on. You can also poke a hole in the side and fill that way, but I think you get more filling by cutting it in half.
How To Make Meringue
The last step is the simple meringue. Beat the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar until they form stiff peaks. Pipe the tops of the eclairs with the meringue and toast with your torch or in the broiler. That is it!! These beauties are done.
What is Choux Pastry?
This is a classic French pastry that is made from ingredients you probably have in your kitchen and pantry. It is not hard to make, but certainly read through the steps first!
You can make cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, etc. Once you master this basic recipe the sky is the limit. You can make them both sweet or savory as well.
Notes
- Here are a few notes that will help you make the recipe perfectly the first time.
- The lemon curd can be made days in advance. It holds really well for at least 7 days in the fridge. To save time, make this before baking day.
- With the choux dough, make sure you have given it time to cool slightly before mixing in your eggs. You do not want scrambled eggs in your dough. Also, make sure you only add one egg at a time. Let it mix in, then add the next one.
- When piping, I like to use a large round tip or a large star tip. You can cut the edge off a ziplock bag, but it doesn't pipe as well. Plus, most tips are under $5 and it is a good investment to make.
- For the meringue, make sure that there is no fat on anything that you are using. Make sure the whisk or mixers are completely clean. You cannot get the stiff peaks you need for the meringue with fat in it.
- I like to separate my eggs while they are cold, it is easier. Then bring them to room temp for making the meringue.
- If you are making your meringue on a humid day, I like to add ½ teaspoon of cornstarch. The corn starch absorbs that extra moisture.
FAQ's Eclair Making
One of the biggest reasons I have seen for the lack of rising in eclairs is the eggs are added into the dough too early and cooked because of the heat in the dough. Make sure your dough is cooled before adding them in.
You say it like "shoo".
After the allotted time, 15 minutes on high heat, then 15 minutes on 325, they should be baked all the way through. They should be a deep golden brown. If you are concerned about it, remove one from the pan and cut it open.
Lemon Meringue Eclairs
Ingredients
Eclair Dough
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- 6 ounces butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs
Meringue
- 3 large egg whites separate when they are cold, then bring to room temperature.
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 recipe lemon curd, chilled
Instructions
Eclairs
- Heat oven to 400 degrees while you are making the dough
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Add eggs to a small bowl and mix well.
- Add water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a medium-sized pan and heat until is just under a bowl and the butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in the flour.
- Once it is mixed in, return to medium heat and stir continuously for about 3-4 minutes. Pull from heat and add it to your stand mixer bowl or a bowl for mixing in. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- Then with the mixer turned on (stand or hand), add in the eggs. They will need to add in 5-6 increments, less than an egg each time. Make sure and mix completely between each addition. The dough should be stiff, but also glossy when you are done. I like to mix about 30 seconds after each addition.
- On your baking sheet pipe 3-4 inch eclairs that are about 1-inch wide. Make sure to give several inches between each eclairs as they will almost double.
- Place in the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes. The reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake another 20.
- Remove and all them to cool at room temperature. The insides will be hollow, so gently insert a chopstick or other round tool to break open the side.
- Next pipe in the lemon curd.
- Now, let's start on the meringue. Add the egg white to a clean bowl and whip for about 30 seconds. Then add in the cream of tartar and whip for another 30. Last, sprinkle in the sugar while you are mixing.
- Continue to mix at high speed until they form stiff peaks. Pipe your design on the eclairs. Then either torch or broil until they are golden brown. If you are broiling, make sure your oven is heated all the way, then add in the eclairs. You want them to broil quickly.
Notes
- Here are a few notes that will help you make the recipe perfectly the first time.
- The lemon curd can be made days in advance. It holds really well for at least 7 days in the fridge. To save time, make this before baking day.
- With the choux dough, make sure you have given it time to cool slightly before mixing in your eggs. You do not want scrambled eggs in your dough. Also, make sure you only add one egg at a time. Let it mix in, then add the next one.
- When piping, I like to use a large round tip or a large star tip. You can cut the edge off a ziplock bag, but it doesn't pipe as well. Plus, most tips are under $5 and it is a good investment to make.
- For the meringue, make sure that there is no fat on anything that you are using. Make sure the whisk or mixers are completely clean. You cannot get the stiff peaks you need for the meringue with fat in it.
- I like to separate my eggs while they are cold, it is easier. Then bring them to room temp for making the meringue.
- If you are making your meringue on a humid day, I like to add ½ teaspoon of cornstarch. The corn starch absorbs that extra moisture.