Lemon Meringue Tart
Recipe and Photography Jenelle McCulloch
This bright tart is made of tangy lemon curd piled high with sweet, fluffy meringue. The meringue is torched until toasty brown for a signature look.
PIE CRUST
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¹/³ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp cold water
tart pan
Directions
Mix flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.
Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse and the butter pieces are no larger than small peas.
In a small bowl, whisk egg and water together and add to the flour-butter mixture. Mix until dough comes together.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface and form into a round disk.
Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Lightly flour work surface. Roll dough away from you and turn dough until it forms a circle just larger than your tart pan.
Fold the dough over your rolling pin and transfer to the pan. Gently press dough into the tart pan and trim excess from edges.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place aluminum foil over dough, pressing down into the sides of the tart.
Fill the tart with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is dry.
Remove the weights and bake for 5 minutes longer, until the crust is set and no longer shiny. Remove from oven.
LEMON CURD
Ingredients
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
pinch of salt
½ cup unsalted butter
double-boiler pots
Directions
Separate eggs and keep whites for meringue.
Add egg yolks to a large heat-proof bowl and whisk in sugar, lemon juice and salt.
Add butter and place bowl over double boiler. Ensure the water is lightly boiling and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until thickened. The curd should coat the back of the spatula.
Strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps of egg that may have formed.
Place curd in the fridge for about an hour to set.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Fill the tart shell with the lemon curd and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the curd begins to puff around the edges. Remove from oven.
Let tart reach room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill completely.
MERINGUE
Ingredients
6 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups sugar
pinch of salt
butane torch
Directions
In the stand mixer bowl, combine egg whites, vanilla extract, sugar and salt.
Bring an inch of water to simmer in a saucepan on stove.
Place bowl with ingredients on top of saucepan. Stir until hot and sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Remove bowl from heat, return to the stand mixer and fit with the whisk attachment.
Whisk on high until stiff peaks form and the meringue is thick and glossy.
Remove tart from fridge and top with meringue, either by scooping or piping.
Using a butane torch, torch the top of the meringue until golden. OH