If you have some time on your hands this weekend to do something creative, this Lemon Meringue Tart is so rewarding. My family loved it! It was so delicious and gorgeous too! You have four separate steps in the process and each cannot be rushed. You will have extra lemon curd and meringue. You could serve the lemon curd drizzled over blueberry scones and the meringue could top fresh raspberries or a chocolate mousse.
The process of making this tart is an art form of sorts. You can really let your creative juices flow. I love the process of choosing the shape of my tart and arranging the meringue and berry garnishes. I used a kitchen torch to toast the meringue. It enhances the flavor in the most amazing way! You can find more delicious desserts here and here!
Ingredients:
For the lemon curd:
6 large egg yolks
⅓ cup of cornstarch
1 ½ cups of granulated white sugar
1 ½ cups of water
⅔ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
¼ teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cubed
For the shortbread:
1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
¼ cup of powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon of salt
⅔ cup of cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons of cold water
For the meringue:
3 large egg whites
¾ cup of granulated white sugar
¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
For garnishing:
Raspberries
Strawberries
Fresh mint
Instructions:
For the shortbread:
Place the flour, sugar, salt and butter into a food processor.
Pulse the mixture 4-5 times, until it has the consistency of sand.
Add the egg yolks and pulse the mixture 1-2 times.
Add one tablespoon of water and pulse once.
Add the rest of the water and pulse again.
The mixture should have a doughy consistency.
Form the dough into a 1 inch thick disk.
Wrap the disk tightly in plastic wrap.
Refridgerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12 inch circle.
Transfer to your tart pan and press in into the bottom and sides.
Trim off any excess and freeze the shell for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the shell for 35 minutes.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes.
For the lemon curd:
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and cornstarch together.
In a medium pan, pour in the water, lemon juice, salt, sugar and lemon zest.
Bring this mixture to a simmer, and stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
Turn down the heat to low and add in half of the egg mixture slowly, stirring constantly.
Add the rest of the mixture in and stir.
Cook until the mixture has thickened and has the consistency of pudding.
Remove the mixture from heat and slowly stir in the butter until it is smooth.
Put the mixture through a mesh strainer.
Refridgerate any extra in an air-tight container.
For the meringue:
Fill a medium pot with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer.
In a glass bowl, place the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.
Place the glass bowl on top of the pot and make sure the bowl does not touch the water.
Whisk the mixture constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
In a stand mixer, whisk the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes.
The meringue should be glossy and have stiff peaks.
Tranfer the meringue to a piping bag to top the tart.
For the tart:
Fill the shortbread shell with lemon curd and refrigerate the tart.
When the tart has set, garnish it with raspberries and strawberries.
Pipe on meringue in a design of your choice.
Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue.
Finish with mint leaves and enjoy!
