Lemon Meringue Tart in Honour of my Mom!
My Mom is a great cook, but she never really did the whole baking thing. Perhaps my trepidation towards baking stems from hers, but I've always preferred actual cooking to baking any day. My brother and I used to give Mom such a hard time that all the other kids came home to home made cookies and brownies - we were joking of course - but I hope she didn't ever feel guilty! She was one of the few working Moms in our ex-pat community and was often abroad on business.
About thirteen years ago Mom got it into her head that she was going to make a lemon meringue pie. I can't remember what the event was, but I know I was having some friends over. Being the smug teenager I was, I laughed at her, thinking it would never happen and was almost embarrassed that she was even going to try it! Well try it she did and succeed did she ever! It was amazing. It became her party piece and she made it many times after that and then one day just as fast as it came, it was gone. I'd say the last time she made it was in 1995, which is such a shame, as they were truly divine.
So in honour of American mothers day (we celebrated ours back in March) I made this yummy Barefoot Contessa recipe for Lemon Meringue Tart. Of course Mom was three hours away and never got a bite. In fact, the husband pretty much ate the entire tart, but that's besides the point! Next time I'm up Mom I'll make one for you! ;-) I was so proud of it, because I just don't really bake, and when I do, if it tastes good I'm lucky, but if it looks good... well, it never really does! This exceeded all my expectations both in taste and looks. It's a fabulous recipe, one that will definitely be added to my repertoire.
I will post the entire recipe here, but to be honest I used leftover pastry from the chicken pot pie. Given my last pastry disaster there is no way I will be making pastry from scratch again! I rolled it out using powdered sugar instead of flour to give it a hint of sweetness. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (recommended: Crisco)
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 4 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Lemon Filling, recipe follows
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out the dough and fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides. Don't stretch the dough when placing it in the pan or it will shrink during baking. Cut off the excess by rolling the pin across the top of the pan. Line the tart shell with a piece of buttered aluminum foil, butter side down, and fill it with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork to allow the steam to escape. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
For the meringue, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until frothy. With the mixer still running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until the meringue is thick and shiny, about 2 minutes.
Immediately spread the lemon filling in the cooled tart shell and pipe the meringue over it with a large star tip. Be sure the meringue covers the entire top and touches the edges of the shell, to prevent it from shrinking. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. Cool to room temperature.
Lemon Filling:- 1/4-pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 3 extra-large egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
- 1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest (6 to 8 lemons)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 1 minute. On low speed, add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, and then add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Don't worry; it will look curdled.
Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until thick, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Whisk briskly when it starts to thicken and cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't allow it to boil! It will be 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Yield: 3 cups
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