Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts Recipe

4.91 from 10 votes

A buttery flaky pastry crust filled with creamy tangy lemon curd and topped with some torched meringue makes these Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts the most delicious of citrus desserts.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Pies & Tarts

Cuisine: British

Servings: Small tarts

Calories: 550kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

6 Fluted tart tins with removable base
Bain-marie Can be made with a bowl set over a saucepan
Electric hand-held beaters with the whisk attachment

Ingredients

Sweet shortcrust pastry

440 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
80 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)
½ teaspoon fine salt
230 g unsalted butter chopped into small cubes
2 eggs lightly beaten
30-60 ml ice-cold water

Lemon curd filling

2 large eggs
5 egg yolks
240 g caster sugar (superfine)
12 g lemon zest
180 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 lemons for both zest and juice
5 g cornflour (corn starch)
60 g double cream (heavy cream)
120 g unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Meringue

2 large egg whites
100 g caster sugar (superfine)

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Make the dough. Sift the flour, powdered icing sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub the butter and flour between your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir the beaten egg and water into the flour mixture until it becomes a dough. Use your hands to bring the dough together and shape it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Prepare the tart tin with the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut it into six equal pieces. Using a rolling, roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface until it's the thickness of a coin and 2cm (1inch) larger in diameter than your tart pan. Gently lift the dough into your tart tin. Use your fingers to push the pastry onto the sides of the tin. Trim off any excess and repeat the process with the remaining dough. Prick the base of the tarts with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate for one hour minimum.
Excess pastry can be brought together and rerolled to make extra mini tart shells.
Bake. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line each tart base with parchment paper or aluminium foil and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment paper and pie weights and return the pastry to the oven for a further 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling.

Lemon curd filling

Add the filling ingredients to a bain-marie. Combine eggs, egg yolks, caster sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, double cream and cornflour (optional) in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the pan does not touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture visibly thickens. It can take between 10 and 20 minutes. You can test if the curd is ready by coating the back of a spoon with the curd and running your finger through it. If the curd holds and doesn't join together, it's ready.
Strain the filling and add the butter. Remove the bowl from the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve discarding the lemon zest. Add the butter, whisking until fully melted and combined. Don’t rush; the extra whisking allows for a lighter, creamier curd for the tart. Cover the curd directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until fully cool. It will continue to thicken as the curd cools.
Fill the tart shells. Once the curd is cool, fill each tart shell with lemon curd. Allow to set in the fridge for an hour before piping with the meringue.

Meringue

Whip the eggs whites to soft peaks. Once the lemon tarts have set, you can make the meringue. In a medium bowl, add your eggs. Using a hand-held electric beater fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk on medium-high until frothy and soft peaks form.
Add the sugar and continue whipping. Then, one tablespoon at a time, add the caster sugar, whisking continuously. Ensure the sugar is incorporated before adding the next spoonful. Then whip for another five minutes until the meringue mixture is smooth, glossy and stands in firm peaks. Test the sugar has fully dissolved by rubbing it between your thumb and finger - if it feels grainy, continue to whip.
Pipe meringue onto the filled tart shells and blow torch! Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with your favourite piping tip, then pipe onto the lemon tarts. With a blow torch, scorch the top of the meringues until lightly browned. Sprinkle with lemon zest and thyme leaves (optional). Serve immediately.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

To store: Store the tarts in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days. Don’t keep the tarts out at room temp for longer than 2 hours. Over time the tarts can start to weep in the fridge.

Any leftover lemon curd can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy on your toast, overnight porridge, and scones or ice cream.

To freeze: The tarts can be frozen as a whole. Place them in freezer-safe containers, make sure they are flat so that the meringue doesn't slide off and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Refresh the meringue by blowtorching it or placing the tart under the grill. Alternatively, store the lemon tarts undecorated, and make a fresh batch of meringue when ready to eat them.

PRO TIPS:

Sweet Short Crust Pastry. Ensure all ingredients are cold before making the pastry. Add the water in a bit at a time as you may need a little less, or more to bring the dough together. Rather than kneading the dough and running the risk of overworking it, simply squeeze it together gently. Refrigerate to allow the gluten to relax. Fill the baking beans to the top of the tart shell sides.
Lemon Curd Filling. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together before making the curd to get maximum flavour. Be patient when heating the curd- it takes time to thicken. Whisk in the butter until it's completely melted through.
Meringue. Ensure your bowl and whisk are clean, dry and oil-free otherwise, your meringue will not whisk properly. Whisk whites to soft peaks before adding the sugar. Add the sugar in slowly. Make sure the sugar is fully dissolved before piping it onto the tart.

Nutrition