Lemon tart with meringue

Lemon meringue tart is a classic French pastry that impresses with its harmonious combination of sweet and sour. A refreshingly tangy lemon cream sits atop a crisp shortcrust pastry base, giving the dessert its characteristic freshness.

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry (for 3 tart tins of 24 cm each):

• 900 grams of flour
• 600 grams of butter (cold)
• 300 grams of icing sugar
• 120 grams of egg yolks (=6 pieces)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• 1 lemon (the zest)

Tip: Use tart tins with a removable bottom.

Ingredients for the lemon filling:

• 6 eggs
• 150 Milliliter Obers
• 220 milliliters of lemon juice
• 190 grams of granulated sugar

Ingredients for the meringue topping:

• 55 grams of water
• 70 grams of granulated sugar
• 100 grams of egg whites (at room temperature)
• 130 grams of granulated sugar
• Sugar thermometer (for the meringue topping)

Recipe Preparation:

• First, prepare the shortcrust pastry. Place flour, icing sugar, egg yolks, a pinch of salt, vanilla sugar, cold butter, and the finely grated zest of an organic lemon in a bowl and quickly knead into a smooth dough. Then, remove the dough from the bowl, knead it briefly again by hand, and shape it into a ball. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 10-12 hours so that it becomes particularly crumbly later.
• After chilling, roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured work surface and place it in the tart tins for blind baking. To do this, prick the base several times with a fork and then weigh it down with baking paper and dried beans or lentils. Bake the tart shells in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) on convection setting for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Then remove the baking paper and beans/lentils and let the shells cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the lemon filling. In a large saucepan, whisk the eggs together with the heavy cream, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and granulated sugar until smooth, without heat. Continue whisking over low heat until thickened. Transfer from the saucepan to a large bowl and set aside.
• Remove the tart base from the oven, carefully remove the baking paper and lentils, and return the tart tin with the shortcrust pastry to the oven for another five minutes. Then remove it from the oven and take out the tart tin (with the removable bottom).
• Carefully pour the prepared lemon cream onto the pre-baked tart base, spread it evenly, and bake at 120°C (250°F) using convection for approximately 5-10 minutes. Bake the filling until it has set but remains slightly creamy. Then remove the lemon tart from the oven and let it cool completely.
• Now prepare the meringue topping. To do this, combine water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan and heat to 118°C (244°F) using a thermometer to make a sugar syrup. At the same time, whisk the room-temperature egg whites until stiff peaks form, gradually adding the remaining sugar. Then, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites while continuously whisking, and continue whisking until a glossy, stable meringue is formed.
• Finally, spread the meringue evenly over the completely cooled lemon tart, right to the edge, using a spatula. Carefully caramelize the meringue topping with a kitchen torch until golden brown, so that it remains slightly crispy on the outside and wonderfully airy on the inside. Then serve and enjoy the lemon tart with the meringue topping.

The combination of a crispy crust, creamy filling, and soft topping makes this tart a truly special treat. With Mimi's video tutorial, anyone can make it at home.