Lemon Meringue Tarts

Lemon Meringue Tarts

Pastry Mixture

250g Plain flour

50g Icing sugar

250g Butter

2 Egg yolks

1 Tablespoon chilled water

Lemon Mixture

160g Raw caster sugar

75g Corn flour

150ml Lemon juice

300ml Water

60g Lemon rind

3 Egg yolks

60g butter

Meringue Mixture

4 Egg whites

250ml water

250g Raw sugar

5g Cream of tartar

To make the pastry, place the flour, icing sugar and butter in food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Transfer flour mixture into a bowl; add iced water and egg yolks, mix until just come together. Sprinkle flour on a clean work surface and kneed until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Sprinkle a little more flour onto a clean work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out to a 1.5cm-thick rectangle. Butter a muffin tray and then flour. Cut out each pie base with a suitable sized cup that will fit your muffin tray. Gently press the pastry into each muffin hole. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place a small square of baking paper over each pastry base, and use pastry weights. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

To make the lemon filling, place the sugar and cornflour in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour the lemon juice and water while stirring continuously until mixture is smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat cool slightly. Add the lemon rind. While whisking add the egg yolks and butter. Continue whisking until the butter is melted and the mixture is well combined.

Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides of pan with a clean, wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. Increase the heat and cook until the sugar mixture reaches 115C (10-15 minutes)

Start whisking egg whites with cream of tartar in the clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Meanwhile, bring sugar syrup to 121C (when a drip is dropped into a glass of water is hard to touch) Increase the mixer speed to high and with motor running, gradually pour sugar syrup into meringue. Beat at medium speed until cooled to room temperature and meringue is thick and glossy (15-20 minutes).

To assemble, have the pastry shells laid out, place lemon filling into a piping bag; cut the tip of the bag and slowly pipe a small amount in each pastry shell. Now spoon the meringue into a piping bag; cut the tip off and slowly pipe. Gently hold the bag up right and pipe until the meringue reaches the pastry side and then quickly bring it up and you will be left with a nice neat peak. (It is optional to use a piping nozzle of any shape or size to pipe your meringue)  

Keep in an airtight container up to 4 days. Best served at cool room temperature.