Lemon Meringue Tarts! Grain Free Greatness and Tartyness!
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 3 tarts
Ingredients
  • Supplies:
  • Three 4.5 inch mini tart pans
  • Kitchen scale
  • Kitchen torch
  • For the Crust:
  • 1¼ cup of fine almond flour
  • ¼ cup confectioners sugar
  • ¼ cup modified tapioca starch
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 stick vegan butter I use Earth Balance soy free - room temp
  • For the Lemon Curd:
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. lemon zest
  • 4.5oz grass fed butter or vegan butter for dairy free option - room temp
  • 6.5oz granulated sugar
  • For the Swiss Meringue:
  • 5 egg whites
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp. of salt
Instructions
  1. For the Crust:
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
  3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the dry ingredient and mix until fully combined. Dough will be wet, no need to chill or roll. Wet your hands or spray lightly with cooking spray. Press some of the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of each of the tart pans. Place tarts on a baking sheet and pop in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  5. Line each of the tarts with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights (I press down the dough carefully with a measuring cup or glass) put back in the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown. Allow to cool completely on wire rack. Can be made a day ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in air-tight container at room temp.
  6. For the Lemon Curd:
  7. Prepare a ice bath for when the curd is done cooking. Leave next to the stove.
  8. Combine the lemon juice, 3oz of sugar and the zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
  9. While the juice is coming to a boil, In a medium heat proof bowl, combine the eggs and the remaining sugar, mix well to combine.
  10. When the juice has reached a boil, pour a little of the hot juice (about a quarter of it) into the egg mixture while whisking, add a little more and continue to mix to temper the eggs. Add the rest of the juice to the egg mixture and continue to whisk. Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and bring back up to boil while vigorously whisking constantly. Continue to whisk for another minute after the mixture has boiled.
  11. Pour the curd through a fine mesh strainer back into the bowl and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Add the butter in three additions mixing well with a spatula until completely smooth.
  12. Pour the curd evenly into the cooled tart shells. Place them back on the baking sheet and pop them in the fridge to set, at least two hours. Can be made night before and left in the fridge covered (not touching the curd) overnight.
  13. For the Swiss Meringue:
  14. Separate whites from yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  15. Pour sugar and salt in bowl with the egg whites.
  16. Place bowl over, not touching, a pot with simmering water.
  17. Whisk constantly until sugar has completely dissolved around 160 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can tell it’s done when you rub a little of the mixture between your fingers and it is completely smooth with no graininess. Should take about 10 minutes.
  18. Then return bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  19. Begin beating the eggs and sugar until whites are glossy and stiff peaks have formed.
  20. The bowl should be cool to the touch, this will take around 10 minutes.
  21. Add meringue to large piping bag fitted with tip of choice. I used a large closed star, large petal tip and large sphere ball Russian tip. Pipe meringue over the curd then lightly torch.
  22. Can be stored covered in the fridge for up to a day.
  23. Enjoy!
Recipe by Social Buttercream at http://socialbuttercream.com/2019/07/13/lemon-meringue-tarts-grain-free-greatness-and-tartyness/