TASTY & TENDER LEMON MERINGUE TARTS

There is nothing better or easier than these Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts– tender crust, tart lemon curd, and sweet toasted meringue! They are the perfect “make ahead of time” dessert for parties, holidays, or just because. They seem extremely complicated but trust me- they are easy as pie!

Course: Dessert
Servings: 12-15 mini tarts
Prep time: 30 mins
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Cuisine: American, Italian, French

FOR THE SHELL

• 4 oz (115 grams) unsalted butter

• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 ¼ cups (282 grams)all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• pinch salt

FOR THE LEMON CURD

• ½ cup cane sugar (or white granulated sugar)

• 1/4 + 2 tablespoons cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 large egg + 2 large egg yolks

• 3 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces

FOR THE MERINGUE

• 2 large egg whites

• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE COOKIE

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray 12 mini tart pans with non stick spray and sprinkle with flour. Tap out excess flour. You can also use mini muffin pan.

2. Beat butter until creamy then add sugar and beat until combined.

3. Add the egg and egg yolk gradually. Beat in until combined. Don’t overbeat because that can make the pastry difficult to handle.

4. Mix in ⅔ flour and baking powder and lemon zest.

5. Add the remaining flour by hand if necessary.

6. Form into a ball then flatten out. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Make the lemon curd while the dough chills.

7. Whisk all of the ingredients except butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F, or until the consistency of the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon.

8. Remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add in the butter and whisk until melted and evenly combined.

9. If you would like your lemon curd to be extra smooth, feel free to strain it, then transfer the lemon curd to a heat-safe jar or bowl. Press a layer of parchment (lightly misted with cooking spray) or plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd, which will prevent a film from forming. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to one hour.

10. Once your dough is done chilling, using a rolling pin, roll out to ⅓ inch (4mm) thickness. Use round cookie cutters to press out as many circles as possible. Then carefully lined each mold/tart tin with a circle of dough. If the dough comes above the outer rim, use your fingers to cut off excess dough.

11. Press together leftover dough and repeat the rolling and lining of the molds. You should have 12 lined molds or more if you use mini muffin pans.

12. Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly golden and puffed. Remove from tin and let cool on a rack. While these are cooling, make your meringue.

13. Whip egg whites until soft peaks, then add in your sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until firm peaks form, and you can completely flip over your bowl of meringue without any movement.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Spoon cooled lemon curd into each empty shell.

2. Place meringue in a piping bag with tip of your choice, pipe any design you want!

3. Place assembled tarts into the oven on broil for ONE MINUTE- watch out, they burn easily! You should have nice, toasted meringue.

4. Place back into the fridge to cool before serving.