Lemon Meringue Tart

A crispy tart crust, a silky lemon cream and a mallowy torched meringue garnished with home-made candied lemon peel.

A classic "Tarte au Citron" is a tart where the lemon filling is baked, but here it is a cream, so I couldn't call this dessert by its French name, but I will bake very soon a classic French Tarte Au Citron.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 150 g plain flour

• 20 g icing sugar

• 90 g butter

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 egg yolk

• a little water

For the lemon cream:

• 100 ml of lemon juice

• 100 g caster sugar

• 1 small egg + 2 egg yolks

• 12 g cornflour

• 1 leaf of gelatine, soaked

• 150 g mascarpone

• 300 ml double cream

For the meringue:

• 2-3 egg whites

• 100 g caster sugar + 20 g

• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

• 25 ml of water

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the candied lemon peel:

• Water to boil the lemon peel

• Lemon peel of 2 lemons, cut into thin strips

• 200 ml of water

• 150 g caster sugar

Recipe

1. Make the pastry by mixing the butter + flour + salt + icing sugar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Add in the egg yolk + water until a pastry forms.

3. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a tart tin. Roll the pastry out and place in tin + prick and then bake blind in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden and then leave to cool.

5. Make the lemon peel by boiling the rind in water for 10 minutes. Drain and then place into the saucepan with the sugar + 200 ml of water for about 80 minutes until it caramelises. Then take out of the saucepan and leave to cool on a silicone mat.

6. Make the lemon cream by placing the caster sugar + lemon juice + egg + egg yolk + cornflour in a saucepan and heat whilst whisking consistently.

7. Once the mixture is thick, add in the soaked gelatin and whisk until combined. Then add in the mascarpone + double cream and whisk. Place in a bowl and cover with cling film touching the mixture. Leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

8. Once the cream is cool, whisk to lighten the cream out and place half in the baked pastry and the rest in a piping bag.

9. Make the Italian meringue by placing the sugar + water in a saucepan.

10. Whisk the egg whites + cream of tartar until stiff peaks. Add in the sugar syrup once all the sugar is dissolved in a slow stream whilst the stand mixer is still running. Whisk the egg whites until the mixture cools and become super glossy and then add in the vanilla extract.

11. Place in a piping bag and pipe in little mountains all over the tart, with spaces between each one.

12. Blow-torch the meringues and then pipe the lemon cream in the gaps.

13. Add on the candied peel and it's done!

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Bye Xxx