Lemon Meringue Pie Stuffed Waffles

Golden waffles stuffed with luscious lemon curd and fluffy toasted meringue!

Although dessert will always be my favorite meal of the day, I’d definitely say that breakfast comes in a close second. The main reason being that it consists of pancakes, waffles, french toast, and other sweet treats which are pretty much desserts disguised as well-balanced breakfast items. So basically, you get to have dessert TWICE a day, if you want!

Waffles have always been in my top three when it comes to favorite breakfast entrées. While you can never go wrong serving them with good ol’ butter and warm maple syrup, sometimes I prefer to think OUTSIDE of the box. So this week, I decided to combine waffles with one of my favorite summer pies.

These waffles are absolutely STUFFED with all of the delicious elements of lemon meringue pie! With layers of tart, refreshingly citrusy lemon curd and creamy dreamy toasted meringue topping, there’s definitely no shortage of deliciousness in this stack of waffles.

Although these waffles do require a little more time and effort than your average stack of waffles, they are TOTALLY worth it. I promise!! Once you get that first perfect forkful of crisp waffle, deliciously tart lemon curd, and fluffy toasted meringue, your taste buds will be singing “Hallelujah!” Well, maybe not literally, but you know what I mean…

The first order of business is the lemon curd. This lemon curd recipe has been my go-to for so many different desserts, and it has NEVER let me down. It’s super duper creamy and packed with the perfect balance of sweet and sour. Not to mention, the recipe is rather foolproof. Just combine your egg yolks, egg, and sugar. Stir in some lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Add some butter, and cook the mixture until it thickens into a beautiful lemon curd. 

Now it’s time to tackle the meringue topping! For these waffles, I opted for more of a marshmallow fluff consistency, rather than the foamy spongy meringue that lemon meringue pies are topped with. Technically, it’s a Swiss Meringue. Not only is this meringue more stable, but it has a much creamier, more ooey gooey texture which goes perfect with the waffles.

You’ll begin by stirring the egg whites and sugar in a large heat-proof bowl over simmering water until the sugar is fully dissolved and the temperature reaches 160ºF. Cream of tartar is then added and the bowl is transferred to a stand mixer with a whisk, or a hand-mixer is used to whip the mixture to stiff, glossy peaks. Vanilla is added at the very end of the mixing process. 

Now that you’ve got your lemon curd and meringue topping done, it’s finally time to make the waffles. You start off by combining some milk with a little lemon juice, which is essentially making buttermilk. I never have buttermilk on hand, so this milk solution makes for a very convenient substitute!

Next you’ll combine all of the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch. The cornstarch prevents the waffles from getting soggy from the steam when cooking in the waffle iron, leaving you with perfectly crisp and tender edges. Another tip for achieving the perfect crisp, yet fluffy texture is to whip the egg whites separately instead of just whisking them whole with the other wet ingredients. Why? Beating the egg whites beforehand gives you fluffier, taller waffles with a nice and crispy exterior. Once they’ve been beaten to soft peaks, I add the sugar, then continue beating until stiff and glossy. The sugar makes it easier to fold into the batter. 

The next step is to combine the wet ingredients–egg yolks, vegetable oil, vanilla, and homemade buttermilk. This mixture is then stirred into the dry ingredients until the batter is just combined–it should still be pretty lumpy. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites, making sure not to over-mix the batter, so that your waffles cook up light and fluffy.

Once you’ve got your waffles dressed to the nines in lemon curd and meringue topping, it’s time to add a little fire to the equation. Take a kitchen torch and toast the meringue as much as you like!

Who knew that lemon meringue pie and waffles would be a match made in heaven?

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Lemon Meringue Pie Waffles

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 7 (7-inch) Waffles

Ingredients

Lemon Curd:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon zest
• Pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into half-inch pieces

Meringue Topping:

• 3 large egg whites
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Waffles:

• 2 ¼ cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs (separated)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

Make the Lemon Filing:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 3-5 minutes minutes.
• Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Make the Meringue Topping:

• Add the egg whites and sugar to a large heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature hits 160ºF on a candy thermometer, about 3-5 minutes.
• Remove bowl from saucepan, add the cream of tartar, and beat mixture with an electric hand-mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment) on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6-8 minutes. Add the vanilla near the very end.

Make the Waffles:

• In a medium bowl, combine the milk and lemon juice. Allow to sit while you work on the batter.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, using an electric beater on high speed, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
• Add the egg yolks, oil, and extracts to the milk mixture and stir until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir until just combined--batter should be lumpy. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
• Cook batter in a waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions. Once cooked, serve immediately with lemon curd and meringue topping. Toast the topping with a kitchen torch, if desired.
• If not serving right away, place waffles directly onto the (clean) rack of an oven that's been preheated to 200ºF, while you cook up and coat the rest of the waffles

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