Delicious, refreshing and not so guilty, this French Lemon Meringue Tart is the perfect occasion to showcase the seductive flavors of lemon in a spectacular centerpiece dessert: a cloud of toasted meringue atop a bed of reviving and bright lemon curd in a biscuity and tender crust. The beauty of this traditional recipe is that it is packed in deliciousness but with moderation.
Serves 8
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter (110g), cut in small cubes
2 egg yolks (keep the whites aside in the fridge for the meringue)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
3 tbsp cold water (5cl)
1 egg wash (optional)
2 lemons
2/3 granulated white sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 eggs (beaten)
2 eggs whites
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1. In a large bowl, add flour, salt and cubes of cold butter. Working quickly, using your fingers, break the butter into flour until the mixture looks like wet sand.
2. In another mixing bowl, beat energetically using a whisk (or fork) egg yolks, sugar and cold water for 3 minutes.
3. Pour the egg mix into the flour/butter mix, then work the dough.
4. Flour your working surface and dump the dough into it.
5. Knead a few minutes until the dough is completely smooth and slightly tacky to the touch. Form a thick disk, wrap it in plastic film and refrigerate for at least an hour in the fridge, or at best overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 355F (180C)
7. Butter and flour a pie dish and place it in the fridge.
8. Remove the dough from the fridge (leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes if you made it the day before, this will help) then form a round flat shape, not too thick, not too thin (1/4” thick).
9. Place the dough in the chilled pie dish. At this stage, I like to trim off any excess of dough with a sharp knife, keeping the top edge flat. Then, using the tip of the knife, I draw lines all over the top of the dough edge for a rustic effect.
10. For a nice golden crust, you can lightly brush an egg wash over the edges of your pie crust (optional).
11. Using a fork, poke holes all over the base to prevent any air bubbles.
12. Blind bake the pie for 25 minutes by placing baking paper over the pastry and weighting it down with pastry weights (dried beans, rice…). Remove the paper and the pastry weights and let it cool.
13. Rinse lemons under cold water and pat dry.
14. Over a saucepan, grate lemons to collect their zest (be sure to avoid the white bitter layer). Then, cut them in half, press their juice and add it to the saucepan.
15. Place the saucepan over medium-high and heat until a gentle simmer begins.
16. Add sugar and flour, and lower the heat to medium-low, stirring constantly using a whisk.
17. Once the temperature has dropped, add the beaten eggs. Keep stirring for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and silky-smooth.
18. Pour the lemon curd directly into the pie crust and let it cool down.
19. Turn on the oven to 250F (120C)
20. Simply beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt.
21. Once they start foamy, add the baking powder and confectioners sugar, and beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. Your meringue should make a nice stiff peak and have a silky-smooth texture when ready.
22. Using a tablespoon, transfer the meringue on top of chilled lemon tart. Make sure to spread the meringue to the crust edge to seal the filling in. Fluff it with the back of the spoon to make decorative peaks across the pie.
23. Bake for 10 minutes at 250F (120C) until a light golden color appears on the meringue peaks.
Cheers Xx
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