Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Adapted from Cupcakes! By Elinor Klivans

For the cupcakes:

2 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup whole milk

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs

2large egg yolks

2 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups lemon curd

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until hot (about 150F). Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about three minutes. Add vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture. Slowly mix in the hot milk mixture until the batter is smooth.

Fill each liner with 1/3 cup of batter, about ¼ of an inch below the top of the liner. Bake for about 18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Recipe makes over 24 cupcakes; more meringue topping may be needed.

Cut a cone-shaped piece out of the middle of the top of each cupcake (save the pieces you cut out for each cupcake!). Fill the holes with lemon curd and replace the pieces of cake that you removed from each cupcake. Place cupcakes 2” apart on a baking sheet.

For the meringue topping:

4 large egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ cup sugar

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar for one minute. Continue beating egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

Use a butterknife to spread almost 1/3 of a cup of meringue over the top of each cupcake. Gently dip the knife into the meringue to make swirls. Bake until the meringue is light brown, about 12 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes and serve. These can be refrigerated and served cold, with the baking cups removed.