My Grandma Fern was quite a strong, loving and very hospitable
person. She would always feed and offer refreshment to any person who may stop
by or who was in need. She wasn’t the best cook, but she did have a few great
dishes that I remember and to this day love. One of them is lemon meringue pie,
my favorite of pies.
The lemon part of the pie had a nice tartness to it and the meringue was very smooth and sweet. This all fit so well with a buttery and crumbly crust that just melted in your mouth. It brings back memories of the freedom of childhood every time I have a bite.
The lemon part of the pie had a nice tartness to it and the meringue was very smooth and sweet. This all fit so well with a buttery and crumbly crust that just melted in your mouth. It brings back memories of the freedom of childhood every time I have a bite.
So in her honor I have recreated her lovely dish into Lemon
meringue tartlets, which are perfect little mouthfuls for your upcoming holiday
parties. You make them in the mini muffin tins, which makes them just a tiny
bite of indulgence. A perfect mini bite of lemony bliss. I do hope you enjoy
them as much as I do.
Lemon Meringue Tartlets
Makes 24
mini tartlets
Pie dough:
Makes 12
tartlet shells (you will need to make double this recipe for the lemon meringue
tartlets)
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted
butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening cut into 4
pieces
1/3-1/2 cups ice cold water
Preheat oven to 350.
Process
1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2
one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous
dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 30 seconds. The dough
should be a course crumbly mixture. Then slowly add the water as you pulse till
the dough comes together and forms a ball. Take dough out, flatten and wrap in
plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes or overnight.
Grease
mini muffin pan and set aside. Divide dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section
on well floured surface. Use round or scalloped edge cookie cutter to cut out
pie shells (the size of the circle should be just larger than the opening of
the mini muffin tin hole). Lightly push down the down into the pan. Fill all
spaces on the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden.
Let cool. Carefully pull out tart shells and line on a flat cookie sheet.
Lemon curd:
1/3 cup butter
finely grated zest of a lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup butter
finely grated zest of a lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
For the
lemon curd, heat the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium
saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Whisk
together the eggs in a small bowl, and slowly whisk in a small amount the lemon
mixture. Return whisked mixture to the pan and heat over medium heat, whisking
constantly, until it just begins to simmer and thicken. If you want it super
smooth, pour it through a fine sieve set over a bowl. You can refrigerate for a
few hours, or overnight. It will thicken as it cools.
Meringue:
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
To make the
meringue: in a mixer bowl (or beat by hand), beat the egg whites with a pinch
of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until the meringue
holds stiff peaks.
To assemble:
In piping
bag with wide round tip, squeeze out the lemon curd into the prepared and
cooled tart shells. Then pipe with star tip, the whipped meringue mixture in a
nice little swirl.
Place the tartlets on a baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for about 3 minutes, until meringue tips are just browned. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you’re ready for them.
Makes about 2 dozen tartlets.
No comments:
Post a Comment