the best kind of tart

A little bit of sweet; 

A little bit of sour.

When life (or that lemon tree you have been dutifully watering for the past 18 months) gives you lemons -

M A K E   L E M O N   M E R I N G U E   T A R T S

Who doesn't love a tart?!

The kind of lemon tarts that give you that buttery tart base crunch;

And tangy lemon curd perfection;

Topped with sweet marshmallowey meringue caramelised just a little bit from the quick flash of a blow torch flame.

ahhhh...

T H E   T A R T   C A S E S

125g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

30g caster sugar

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons chilled water

Combine dry ingrediants (flour, sugar, salt) in a bowl.

Using finger tips - gently rub butter into the dry mix until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Slowly add water, rubbing together until it forms a rough dough. 

Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead to form a smooth firm dough. 

Flatten the dough into an inch thick

Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

THEN

Roll out the dough and cut round disks to line your pre-oiled tart cases.

Bake at 180C for 10 minutes or until golden.

Allow to cool.

T H E   L E M O N   F I L L I N G

50g (1/3 cup) cornflour

125ml (1/2 cup) water

250ml (1 cup) fresh lemon juice

215g (1 cup) caster sugar

60g butter, coarsely chopped

4 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

Combine the cornflour, water, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan. 

Use a balloon whisk to stir over medium heat for 4 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. 

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for a further 1 minute. 

Remove from heat. 

Whisk in butter and egg yolks. 

Transfer to a bowl. 

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 3 hours or until cooled completely.

T H E   M E R I N G U E 

4 egg whites (left over from the Lemon Filling process)

1 cup caster sugar

Use an electric beater to beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. 

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.

T H E   A S S E M B L E Y

(to create little tarts of delicious)

Fill cooked tart cases with cooled lemon filling.

Pipe meringue over lemon filling on each tart.

Use a kitchen blow torch to gently brown the meringue.

Let's Blow Torch These Babies

I'm not gonna lie - I love any excuse to play with fire...

But if you don't have a blow torch on hand, popping these in the oven to turn golden brown will also work a treat. 

(Not as fun.. but still delicious!)

Love At First Bite

xx