Lemon Meringue Custards

ingredients

• the custard
• 3/4 cup sugar
• the zest of 3 lemons, removed with a vegetable peeler (being careful
•  ,to include none of the white pith)
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• 4 large whole eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• the meringue
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• silver dragees for garnish

directions

Make the custard:

In a food processor grind the sugar and the zest until the zest is chopped fine and transfer the mixture to a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water, bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, the cream, and the salt and cook the mixture until it is hot, but do not let it boil. In a bowl whisk together the yolks and the whole eggs, add the hot milk mixture in a stream, whisking, and stir in the lemon juice. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into 3 1/8 quarts ramekins set in a large baking pan, add enough hot water the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and bake the custards in the middle of a preheated 325 degrees. oven for 40 minutes, or until they are just set. (Alternatively, the custard can be baked in the same manner in a 1 1/2 quarts shallow baking dish for 1 hour, or until it is just set.) Remove the ramekins from the pan, let the custards cool completely, and chill them, covered loosely with wax paper, for at least 3 hours. The custards may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Make the meringue:

In a small saucepan combine the sugar with 1/3 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the syrup until it registers 248 degrees. on a candy thermometer and remove the pan from the heat. While the syrup is boiling, in a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. With the mixer running add the hot syrup in a stream, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, and beat in the lemon juice.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, blot the top of the custard dry with paper towels, and pipe the meringue decoratively onto it. Sprinkle the meringue with the dragees, transfer the custards to a large baking pan filled with ice, and bake them in the top third of a preheated 450 degrees. oven for 4 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. The lemon meringue custards may be made 3 hours in advance and kept in the large baking pan filled with more ice.