Here’s a fun and delicious dessert mash-up: Lemon Meringue Pie Cannoli — a crispy cannoli shell filled with tangy lemon curd and fluffy toasted meringue. Think classic Italian meets zesty American pie!
🍋 Lemon Meringue Pie Cannoli
🧾 Ingredients:
For the Cannoli Shells (or use store-bought):
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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1 tbsp sugar
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1/4 tsp salt
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1 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and diced
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1 egg yolk
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1/4 cup white wine (or water)
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Vegetable oil, for frying
Optional shortcut: Use pre-made cannoli shells from a bakery or store.
For the Lemon Filling:
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3/4 cup lemon curd (store-bought or homemade — recipe below)
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1/2 cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese, softened
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1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional, for extra sweetness)
For the Meringue Topping:
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2 egg whites
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1/4 tsp cream of tartar
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
🍋 Optional Homemade Lemon Curd:
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1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
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Zest of 1 lemon
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1/2 cup sugar
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3 large egg yolks
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4 tbsp butter, cubed
Whisk juice, zest, sugar, and yolks in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 5–7 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in butter, and chill.
🔧 Instructions:
1. Make (or buy) the cannoli shells:
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Mix dry shell ingredients in a bowl.
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Cut in butter until crumbly.
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Stir in egg yolk and wine to form a dough.
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Rest 30 min, then roll out thinly and cut circles. Wrap around metal cannoli tubes.
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Fry in hot oil (350°F / 175°C) until golden. Cool and remove molds.
2. Make the lemon filling:
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Mix lemon curd with mascarpone or cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
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Pipe into cooled cannoli shells using a pastry bag.
3. Make the meringue:
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Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy.
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Gradually add sugar while beating until stiff peaks form.
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Mix in vanilla.
4. Top and torch:
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Pipe meringue onto each end of the filled cannoli.
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Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue (or broil briefly, watching very closely).
✅ Tips:
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Chill before serving for best texture.
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Dust with powdered sugar for extra flair.
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Garnish with lemon zest or candied peel.