Cuisine: The Polish Palate
Course: Desserts, Baking
Diet: Vegetarian, High-Carb, Pescatarian
Occasion: Dessert & Tea Time, Afternoon Snack, Comfort Food, Milk Bar Classics, Culinary Heritage, Sunday Dinner

Ptysie z Kremem z Białek (Traditional Polish Lemon Meringue Cream Puffs)

Crisp, golden choux pastry shells filled to the brim with a glossy, marshmallow-like lemon egg-white cream.
Prep time 30m
Temp 200°C (392°F)
Cook time 1h
Rest time 1h
Total 2h 30m
Yield
12
Per serving:
206 kcal
28g Carbs
4g Protein
8g Fat
By Adam Dworak
Published: 14 August 2026
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Last Updated: 09 September 2026

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Ingredients

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Kitchen Kit

  • Heavy-Based Saucepan
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Piping Bag
  • Large Star Nozzle
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Sugar Thermometer
  • Wire rack
  • Baking Tray
  • Baking paper
  • Zester
  • Whisk
  • Skewer
  • Bread Knife
  • Fine Mesh Sieve
  • Measuring Jug
  • Small saucepan
  • Stand Mixer
A zester grating fresh lemon zest over a mixing bowl filled with fluffy white meringue cream.

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (fan). Line two large baking trays with non-stick parchment paper.
  2. Zest and juice the lemon. Separate 3 of the eggs, dropping the whites into a scrupulously clean, grease-free stand mixer bowl. Reserve the yolks for another recipe. Leave the remaining 4 eggs whole.
  3. Pour 250ml of the water into a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Chuck in the unsalted butter and the salt. Place over a medium heat and bring to a rolling boil (ensure the butter is completely melted before the water vigorously bubbles).
  4. The moment the liquid is boiling, tip in the plain flour all at once. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and beat vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a smooth, thick dough (the panade).
  5. Return the pan to a low heat and continue to beat the dough for another 2 minutes. You want to steam dry the mixture until it pulls cleanly away from the sides and leaves a thin, starchy film on the bottom of the pan.
  6. Tip the hot dough into a large mixing bowl and spread it up the sides slightly. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes. If you add the eggs now, you will scramble them.
  7. Crack the 4 whole eggs into a jug and whisk them lightly. Once the dough has cooled down, begin beating the eggs into the dough a splash at a time. Beat vigorously after each addition until fully incorporated.
  8. Stop adding the egg when the dough reaches "dropping consistency" – it should reluctantly fall from the spoon in a distinct 'V' shape.
  9. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle. Pipe 12 large mounds onto your lined trays, leaving plenty of space between them as they will triple in size.
  10. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes. Do not open the oven door during this time, or the steam will escape and the pastry will collapse.
  11. After 25 minutes, drop the temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes to dry out the shells. They should be deeply golden and sound hollow when tapped on the base.
  12. Remove from the oven and immediately pierce a small hole in the base of each puff with a skewer to let the residual steam escape. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  13. Once the shells are completely cold, begin the meringue cream. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the remaining 50ml of water. Place over medium heat and swirl gently until the sugar dissolves.
  14. Bring the syrup to a boil. Do not stir it. Clip a sugar thermometer to the side of the pan and boil until the syrup reaches 118°C (soft ball stage).
  15. When the thermometer hits 110°C, turn on your stand mixer and whisk the 3 egg whites until they form soft, foamy peaks.
  16. As soon as the syrup hits 118°C, remove the pan from the heat. With the mixer running on medium-high speed, carefully and slowly pour the hot syrup down the inside edge of the bowl into the whipping egg whites.
  17. Once all the syrup is added, turn the speed up to high. Continue to whisk for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the bowl feels completely cool to the touch and the meringue is incredibly thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
  18. Fold the reserved lemon zest and lemon juice into the cooled meringue until completely combined.
  19. Slice the top third off each cooled pastry shell horizontally. Generously spoon or pipe the lemon meringue cream onto the base, place the pastry lid gently on top, and finish with a heavy dusting of icing sugar.
Chef's Note & Storage
Fridge 1 day. The cooked meringue cream is incredibly stable, but the pastry shells will soften as they sit in the fridge. Best stored as empty shells at room temperature and filled just before serving.
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A close-up view of a single Polish lemon meringue cream puff filled with white marshmallow cream and dusted with icing sugar on a decorative plate.

The Marshmallow Cloud

While the heavy dairy cream version of the Polish ptyś is a classic, the true nostalgic heavyweight for many is the ptyś z kremem z białek. Instead of rich whipped cream, these towering choux buns are packed to the rafters with a glossy, marshmallow-like Italian meringue. It is sticky, brilliant white, and intensely sweet. To stop it from becoming cloying, we aggressively flavour the meringue with fresh lemon zest and juice. The sharp, aromatic citrus cuts right through the sugar, perfectly balancing the crisp, buttery pastry shell. It is honest, unapologetic baking that demands you get sticky fingers and icing sugar all over your chin.

CHEF'S SECRET: The magic of krem z białek lies in the temperature of the sugar syrup. You are making an Italian meringue, which means cooking a sugar syrup to precisely 118°C (the "soft ball" stage) before pouring it into your whipping egg whites. This cooks the whites, stabilises the foam, and creates that iconic, sticky marshmallow texture that won't weep or collapse. A sugar thermometer is non-negotiable here.

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The Rule of Rest

The greatest mistake home cooks make with choux pastry happens after the baking is done. Heat is the enemy of structure. If you attempt to pipe your freshly whipped meringue into shells that are even slightly warm, you will create a soggy, structural disaster. Patience is paramount. Let the shells cool completely on a wire rack before you even begin boiling your sugar syrup.

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