LEMON MERINGUE TART
This lemon meringue tart is a graham cracker crust topped with a creamy lemon filling and fluffy brown sugar meringue. It’s a show stopping dessert that’s perfect for a special occasion.
When I need a dessert that’s a little bit on the fancy side, I make berry chantilly cake, Oreo cheesecake, or this amazingly delicious and elegant lemon meringue tart. This dessert takes a bit of effort, but the end result is totally worth it.
So what exactly is the difference between a Lemon Meringue Tart and a Lemon Meringue Pie besides the obvious difference that one uses a tart pan and the other a pie pan? Well, for one thing a Lemon Meringue Pie uses a lemon filling (or custard) which contains little or no butter and uses cornstarch or flour for thickening. A Lemon Meringue Tart, on the other hand, is filled with lemon curd which does not contain cornstarch or flour and contains more lemon juice and zest which gives the curd a sharper lemon flavor. A lemon curd also contains butter which gives it a smooth and creamy texture.
Nevertheless, they are both delicious and both have that same pitfall, the problem of a 'weeping' meringue. That is, beads of moisture that form between the baked meringue and the filling, causing the meringue to slip away from the filling. One reason for 'weeping' is undercooking the meringue. I find the best solution is to use a Swiss Meringue which doesn't need to be baked in the oven. It is different than just whipping the egg whites and sugar in a bowl.
Instead the egg whites and sugar are first heated over a saucepan of simmering water which dissolves the sugar and heats the egg whites until very warm. I do recommend using a candy thermometer to ensure the egg whites reach 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) which is the temperature needed to kill salmonella. Once that is done the egg whites are simply whipped to stiff peaks, placed on the filling, and then all you need to do is brown the meringue either under a hot broiler or with a propane hand torch.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
When I need a dessert that’s a little bit on the fancy side, I make berry chantilly cake, Oreo cheesecake, or this amazingly delicious and elegant lemon meringue tart. This dessert takes a bit of effort, but the end result is totally worth it.
So what exactly is the difference between a Lemon Meringue Tart and a Lemon Meringue Pie besides the obvious difference that one uses a tart pan and the other a pie pan? Well, for one thing a Lemon Meringue Pie uses a lemon filling (or custard) which contains little or no butter and uses cornstarch or flour for thickening. A Lemon Meringue Tart, on the other hand, is filled with lemon curd which does not contain cornstarch or flour and contains more lemon juice and zest which gives the curd a sharper lemon flavor. A lemon curd also contains butter which gives it a smooth and creamy texture.
Nevertheless, they are both delicious and both have that same pitfall, the problem of a 'weeping' meringue. That is, beads of moisture that form between the baked meringue and the filling, causing the meringue to slip away from the filling. One reason for 'weeping' is undercooking the meringue. I find the best solution is to use a Swiss Meringue which doesn't need to be baked in the oven. It is different than just whipping the egg whites and sugar in a bowl.
Instead the egg whites and sugar are first heated over a saucepan of simmering water which dissolves the sugar and heats the egg whites until very warm. I do recommend using a candy thermometer to ensure the egg whites reach 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) which is the temperature needed to kill salmonella. Once that is done the egg whites are simply whipped to stiff peaks, placed on the filling, and then all you need to do is brown the meringue either under a hot broiler or with a propane hand torch.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornflour
- 2 egg yolks
- 30g butter
- 1 finely grated lemon zest
- 2 egg whites
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
METHOD
- Preheat oven to hot, 200C. Lightly grease each recess of a (1/4 cup) muffin pan.
- Using a 10cm cutter, cut 12 rounds from pastry. Ease pastry into prepared pans. Chill for 15 minutes. Prick bases and bake for 5-10 mins.
- Meanwhile, combine water, lemon juice, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan, until smooth. Bring to boil, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 mins.
- Stir in yolks, butter and rind and allow to cool slightly. Spoon into prepared cases, leveling top. Chill until firm.
- To make the meringue, in a clean, dry bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves and foam is stiff, thick and glossy. Beat in vinegar.
- Increase oven to very hot (220C). Dollop meringue roughly over filling in each tart. Bake for 4-5 mins until lightly browned. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.
