Lemon Meringue Squares
Lemon Meringue Squares
Every Mom deserves to indulge once in a while, especially on a day that is all about them! As Mother’s Day is slowly approaching, Sharon Osbourne is sharing her favorite recipe from Atkins that will satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt. Sharon’s favorite is a healthy yet delicious option for those looking to watch their figure.
Servings
1
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almonds, slivered
- 2/3 cup soy flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, cut up and divided
- 3 tablespoon cream cheese, softened and divided
- 2 teaspoon sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 5 tablespoon granular sugar substitute (sucralose), divided
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper or foil, extending over sides by 2 inches; set aside. On a separate baking sheet - toast almonds for 4 minutes until lightly browned, remove from heat, cool, chop and set aside. For the crust: In a small mixing bowl, combine soy flour, baking powder, 3 tablespoons softened butter, cream cheese and sour cream. With an electric mixer on low, beat just until combined. Form into a ball, then press into a 4-inch disc. Wrap well in plastic and chill 20 minutes. Using fingers, press dough in an even layer over the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup almonds (reserve 1 teaspoon for the meringue topping) over top and press firmly into dough. Using a fork, prick dough in several places. Loosely cover pan with foil; bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is browned, about 15 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. For the lemon filling: In a 1½ -quart heavy saucepan, combine egg, egg yolks and 2 tablespoons granular sugar substitute. Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, just until the mixture thickens, 4 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon softened butter. Whisk until blended and smooth. Pour into a small bowl, place plastic wrap directly on surface of filling and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. For the meringue: In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat just until egg whites form stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Beat in 3 tablespoons granular sugar substitute, 1 tablespoon at a time, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice. Add vanilla. Beat until thick, about 30-45 seconds. To assemble: Evenly spread lemon filling over baked crust. Drop mounds of meringue over filling. Using the back of a spoon, quickly spread meringue, completely covering lemon filling. Bake until meringue is golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Run knife along unlined sides of pan and, holding extended ends of parchment, carefully lift out of pan. Cut into 9 squares. Chill until ready to serve. (If assembling completely, squares must be served on the day prepared. Can be refrigerated up to 3 hours; see note below for making ahead.) Sprinkle meringue squares with remaining 1 teaspoon of almonds before serving.