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Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts

These Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts are a perfect balance of tangy citrus, buttery crust, and fluffy sweetness. Each bite-sized tart features a crisp, golden pastry shell filled with silky, zesty lemon curd and topped with a cloud of lightly toasted meringue.

Enjoy them as an elegant dessert, a refreshing afternoon treat, or a delightful addition to any celebration.

Lemon Meringue Tarts
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Lemon Meringue Tarts

Recipe by Ethan AndruchukCourse: DessertCuisine: French
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

1

hour 
Cooking time

1

hour 

This recipe has proportions for a full lemon meringue pie so there will most likely be left over curd, crust & meringue. More so curd & meringue if you use all the leftover egg whites; but this can be avoided by using a store-bought curd & using just the single egg white from the crust.

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust Pastry

  • 250g all purpose flour

  • 180g unsalted butter

  • 1 egg yolk (reserve white for the meringue)

  • 50ml whole milk

  • 2 pinches of sugar & salt

  • Lemon Curd

  • 4 egg yolks

  • 1 egg

  • 150g white sugar

  • 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice ( 4-6 medium lemons)

  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

  • 85g unsalted butter, cubed

  • pinch of salt

  • French Meringue

  • 1 egg white

  • 75g icing sugar

  • 1/2 tsp creme of tartar

  • vanilla

Directions

  • Shortcrust Pastry
  • Add the butter to the flour and using your fingertips, rub the cubes into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  • In a cutting motion, mix in the milk, egg yolk and salt
  • Remove from bowl and on a work bench form into a ball; chill for 20 minutes
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF, press 35g balls of dough into the base of 2-inch muffin tins and flatten, pierce all over with a fork
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown
  • Lemon Curd
  • In a heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, egg and sugar. A thermometer should read 180 degrees.
  • Stir in lemon juice, zest and salt.
  • Add butter and whisk constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon, 7 to 9 minutes or 180ºF
  • If there are any coagulated bits of egg or large pieces of zest, strain with a fine-mesh sieve
  • Scoop 1 tablespoon of curd onto crust and return to the oven to bake until set (it should jiggle only slightly in the centre), roughly 18 minutes (can take up to 40 if making a pie)
  • French Meringue
  • In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks are formed
  • Add in creme of tartar and vanilla, whisk until incorporated
  • Add in sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks are formed
  • With a spoon, piping bag or spatula, lump onto the tops of tarts and return to oven at 400º until golden brown
  • If desired, gently finish with a torch

Notes

  • To remove from the tins, it's best to do this immediately as while they harden it becomes increasingly more difficult. With a flexible silicone spatula, carefully work your way around the edges, habitually wiping off any crumbs to ensure they don't spread to the nearby meringue and curd. Once the edges are free you should be able to slip your spatula underneath to fully release the tarts - pay more attention to not breaking the meringue instead of the crust, as if the crust breaks at this stage it should cool down & harden back together if treated nicely