Lime Meringue Sandwiches with Imperial Lemon Marmalade

Over eight intensive days, the Bartolí Lab, the gastronomic laboratory of Fundación Todolí Citrus, hosted a pastry course led by Forinsa and the García Ibáñez Vocational Training Centre.

Under the guidance of teacher and pastry chef Esperanza Salvador Bertó, the course explored the freshness and vibrant fragrance of citrus fruits as the common thread running through the creations, from sponge cakes and creams to fillings and glazes.

Created during the course, this recipe captures that approach to ingredients. Esperanza Salvador Bertó combines the light, crisp texture of lime-scented dried meringue with the sweet-and-tart intensity of artisan lemon marmalade: a simple, delicate bite full of citrus aroma.

Throughout the course, Esperanza stressed the importance of ingredients with soul: those that offer not only flavour, but also a story. Participants learnt to use each citrus fruit strategically:

Lemon: its classic acidity balances sponge cakes, refreshes creams and tempers the sweetness of meringues.
Mandarin: lends a gentler sweetness, ideal for delicate ganaches and chocolate fillings.
Orange: classic and versatile, used both as zest in batters and as candied slices for decoration.
Lime: adds aromatic notes and intense freshness, especially suited to plated desserts.

Ingredients

Serves 6–8.

For the lime meringue

3 egg whites

100 g caster sugar

100 g icing sugar, sifted

Zest of 2 fresh limes

For the filling

200 g artisan Imperial lemon marmalade

Method

Preheat the oven to 150 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Set aside three quarters of the lime zest and mix it with the caster sugar to infuse it with the lime’s essential oils.

Whisk the egg whites at medium speed. Once they begin to foam, gradually add the scented sugar in a slow, steady stream, until you have a firm, smooth and glossy meringue with stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, gently fold in the sifted icing sugar, taking care not to deflate the meringue. Fold in the remaining lime zest.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe spirals, stars or rosettes onto the tray.

Bake for 8 minutes at 150 °C. Then reduce the temperature to 60 °C and leave the meringues to dry for 1–2 hours, until completely crisp.

To assemble the sandwiches, place a generous spoonful of lemon marmalade on the base of one dried meringue and top with another.

The result is a light, aromatic dessert: crisp meringue sandwiches with a sweet-and-tart burst at their centre.