Lemon Meringue Tartlets

To make the lemon curd, in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, vanilla and butter. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the butter melts and the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until cool.  

Meanwhile, make the tart dough: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, ice water and vanilla; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Fit the mixer with the flat beater, add the butter and beat on medium speed until the butter is the size of small peas, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolk mixture and beat until the dough comes together and is smooth, about 1 minute.  

Transfer the dough to a work surface, shape into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Have ready six 4-inch (10-cm) tartlet pans.

Lightly flour the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, shape each into a ball and flatten into a disk. Working with 1 dough disk at a time, flatten the disk with 2 to 4 gentle taps of a rolling pin. Lift the dough and give it a quarter turn. Lightly dust the top of the dough or the rolling pin with flour as needed, then roll out the dough into a 7-inch (18-cm) round (or larger, if you prefer a thinner crust). Carefully transfer the dough to a tartlet pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides; trim off any excess dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

Using a fork, prick the bottom of the chilled tart dough about 3 times. Line each tartlet shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment. Continue to bake until the shells are lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool completely, then remove the tartlet shells from the pans.

Meanwhile, make the meringue: In the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 6 minutes. Slowly add the sugar about 1 Tbs. at a time. Increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is shiny, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon zest and beat until combined. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip or to a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off.

To assemble the tartlets, spoon the lemon curd into another pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip or to a resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe the curd into the tartlet shells, filling them to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) from the top of the shells. Then pipe the meringue over the curd as desired. Using a kitchen torch according to the manufacturer’s instructions, move the flame continuously in small circles over the surface of the meringue until lightly browned. Alternatively, cover the entire surface of the tartlets with the meringue and broil until lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight before serving. Makes 6 tartlets.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen