Lemon Meringue Tartlets

(12 x 2" tartlets)

I made two batches of these for the July 4th festivities. An unusual choice perhaps, but I had lemons and a strong craving... plus.. I have a cute tartlet pan which fits perfectly in my small convection oven and I wanted to try it out.

When I made the lemon filling, I added the egg yolks right at the beginning and whisked everything until the mixture came to a boil and thickened. I've never seen the need to add them later and that saves a step.

The egg yolks I used were nearly orange in colour, tinting the lemon filling a lovely yellow.

pastry for a 9 inch pie

Lemon Filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2-3 tsp lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
3 egg yolks 
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups water
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut the pastry into circles and press them into the tartlet pan. Allow a bit of the pastry to "hang" past the pan as it will shrink as it bakes. Prick the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork and bake for about 6-8 minutes or until the shells are browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, egg yolks and lemon juice in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the water.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil while whisking the mixture. Continue whisking and boil for one minute, then remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Cool the filling slightly, then divide it evenly among the cooled tartlet shells. Set aside and allow the filling to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites until they begin to form soft peaks, then gradually beat in the sugar and continue to beat until they are stiff and glossy.

I like to scoop a small amount of meringue into a sandwich bag (and cut off a corner) to pipe a small circle around each tartlet ensuring it's touching the pastry.. (that way the meringue won't pull away or shrink from the edges later.)



Use the rest of the meringue to completely cover each tartlet.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the surface of the meringue becomes an even brown. Remove from oven and cool.