Individual Lemon Meringue Tarts
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 1156
- Total Fat
- 62
- Saturated Fat
- 22
- Carbohydrates
- 138
- Dietary Fiber
- 2
- Sugar
- 86
- Protein
- 16
- Cholesterol
- 347
- Sodium
- 201
- Total: 2 hr 55 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Inactive: 1 hr 15 min
- Cook: 55 min
Ingredients
Pastry:
11/2 pounds short crust pastry, recipe follows
Filling:
2 cups lemon juice
6 eggs
6 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Meringue:
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
Short Crust Pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, cold
8 ounces shortening, cold
1/2 cup ice cold water
Directions
Special equipment:
Rolling pin 6 (4-inch) tart molds with removable bottoms 3 cups of pie weights or dried beans Cheese grater- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- For the pastry: Roll the pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 6 (6-inch) rounds. Place the pastry in 6 (4-inch) tart molds. With a knife trim the excess pastry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Line each tart shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill to the rim with pie weights.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the pie weights and parchment from the tart shells and bake for 10 minutes.
- For the filling: Whisk together the lemon juice, eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the lemon mixture into a medium pot. Place over medium heat and stir with a spatula for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour the lemon mixture onto a baking sheet and cool completely.
- Spoon the cooled lemon mixture or curd into the baked tart shells.
- For the meringue: Beat the egg whites with the vanilla extract and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished meringue should have stiff glossy peaks. Mound the meringue on top of the tarts.
- Make sure there is a good seal between the meringue and the edge of the crust. Bake the tarts in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the molds.
Short Crust Pastry:
- Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter and shortening into the flour. Combine the mixture with your fingers until it resembles cornmeal. Add the ice cold water and mix with a spoon, pulling the water into the flour until a dough forms.
- With your hands, shape the dough into 2 balls and flatten them into disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.