Lemon Meringue Shortbread Tartlets
Serves: Makes 12-14 tartlets
Ingredients
- 2 C. all-purpose flour
- ½ C. powdered sugar
- 1 C. Butter, cut into cubes and semi-soft
- 7 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 C. + 2 T. sugar
- ⅔ C. lemon juice (from about 4-5 medium lemons), strained
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 T. unsalted butter, cut in to 4 pieces
- 3 T. heavy cream
- 1 recipe Italian Meringue
- Small Culinary Blowtorch
- Tartlet baking pan or Silicone Reusable Baking Cups
Instructions
- For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Put the flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and process briefly, about 2 seconds. Add the butter pieces and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then process until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second pulses.
- Divide the dough between 12-14 tartlet tins and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over each tin bottom and sides. Using the tines of a fork, poke holes around the sides and bottoms of the dough lined tins. If using individual silicone baking cups, place them all on a baking sheet before baking.
- Bake the crusts in the preheated oven until the edges start to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Keep oven on.
- For the filling:
- In a medium saucepan whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs and sugar until combined. Add the lemon juice and salt and whisk until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the butter pieces and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the curd thickens, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and then pour the curd into the tartlet crusts, dividing evenly among them.
- Bake until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center 3 inches jiggle slightly when shaken, about 5 minutes. Let the Tartlets cool while you make the meringue using THIS recipe.
- When the meringue is finished, spoon it into a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip and pipe out little dollops of meringue on top of each tartlet.
- Using a Small Culinary Blowtorch
, toast the tops of the meringues.
- If you do not have a blowtorch, place the tartlets under a broiler to toast the meringue, watching very, very closely as it can burn rather quickly using this method.
- Serve warm or chilled.
Recipe by The Kitchen McCabe at https://www.thekitchenmccabe.com/2014/05/14/lemon-meringue-shortbread-tartlets/