Lemon Meringue Tart

The recipe is split into 3 parts: Crust, Meringue, Filling...so make each in that order.

Course Pie

Keyword lemon meringue, lemon meringue tart

Total Time 1 45

Servings tart

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor, process the flour, sugar and salt for about 10 seconds.
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, pinch salt
Then add the chunks of butter and process until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
1/2 cup butter
Add the egg yolk and process again until the egg is thoroughly combined.
1 large egg yolk
Press the mixture into a 10 inch tart pan (making the sides slightly higher than the centre because the lemon filling needs somewhere to sit).
1 large tart pan
Refrigerate for at least 25 minutes. Or you can put it into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Then bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until the crust is slightly browned. Make sure to prick the tart with a fork several times while baking, and watch it carefully.
Cool.
Remove from tart pan. Make sure to put your crust onto an oven-proof serving plate. Set aside.
Now on to the meringue.

Now that your crust is done and set off to the side, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
In a sauce pan set to med-high heat, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Whisk until the mixture is thick and clear.
3 tsp cornstarch, 1/3 cup water
Set aside. Cool.
In a mixer beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
4 egg whites, pinch of cream of tartar
Then add sugar one tbsp at a time, while still beating.
8 tbsp berry sugar
Beat until the meringue looks glossy and has stiff peaks (see picture below). At this point add the cornstarch mix, and beat until thoroughly combined.
Set aside.
Now on to the filling.

In a saucepan over med-high heat, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, water, zest and lemon juice.
1 cup white sugar, 2 tbsp all purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, pinch salt, 1 cup water, zest from 4 lemons, juice from 3 lemons
Mix until the liquid is boiling, then add butter and remove from the heat. Stir until combined.
2 tbsp butter
In a separate small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the hot lemon filling with the 4 egg yolks. This is to prevent the eggs from cooking.
4 egg yolks
Then add this mixture to the remaining filling.
Bring to a boil, and stir for about 1 minute.

Pour the hot lemon filling into tart shell.
Spread on meringue, sealing the edges.
Bake in your preheated 400 degree F oven until the meringue is golden brown (like a marshmallow). About 10 minutes. Watch closely.
Remove from oven, and let cool.

Things to note:

Use a 25 cm (or close to) flan/tart pan that has a removable bottom. That way the crust comes out easily.
Make sure to turn your crust out onto an oven-proof serving dish, as it has to go back in to the oven for extra baking.
If you want a mile-high meringue, with pretty fluffy peaks, you will have to double the meringue recipe.
You can serve this after it has cooled, or hours later. I think you could make it ahead a couple of hours.