Lemon cream and meringue tart
8 servings
90 minutes
Lemon cream tart with meringue is a refined combination of crispy shortcrust pastry, rich citrus cream, and airy sweet meringue. This dessert originates from French pastry tradition, where the harmony of textures and flavors plays a key role. The lemon cream adds a refreshing tartness that perfectly contrasts with the soft, slightly caramelized meringue. It is often served on special occasions or in cozy cafes, enjoying every spoonful. A magnificent treat balancing sweetness and acidity leaves a lasting aftertaste and makes each tasting a small celebration.
1
Preparing the dough: mix softened butter with powdered sugar until a uniform creamy consistency. Then add the yolks one by one, adding the next as soon as one is incorporated. When the mixture becomes uniform again, add the sifted flour. Knead again until smooth, and it's ready! Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. The chilled dough is easy to roll out and place in the mold.
- Butter: 125 g
- Powdered sugar: 58 g
- Egg yolk: 50 g
- Wheat flour: 150 g
2
Bake in an oven preheated to 160ºC. For 10 minutes with a light weight (beans or coins or ceramic balls in parchment) to prevent the dough from spreading, then without it until done (+-15 minutes), the dough should brown nicely. Let the tart cool while we prepare the lemon cream.
3
Preparing the cream: grate the lemon zest on a fine grater, trying to take only the top yellow part and not grating the white part, otherwise the cream may taste bitter. Squeeze the juice from the lemons. Soak the gelatin in very cold water beforehand. In a heatproof container, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs. The mixture should lighten slightly.
- Lemon zest: 2 pieces
- Lemon juice: 75 ml
- Gelatin: 4 g
- Chicken egg: 3 pieces
4
Set on medium heat. Continuously whisking, bring to a boil (but do not boil!), remove from heat and add soaked gelatin. Then cool the cream while stirring to about 40ºC. You can place the container in ice water for this.
- Gelatin: 4 g
5
We mix butter into the cream in small pieces using a whisk, preferably an immersion blender. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and place in the refrigerator.
- Butter: 125 g
6
Preparing meringue: mix sugar with water and put it on the heat. Constantly stirring, bring it to 110ºC and start whipping the egg whites. Continue heating the sugar syrup, and when the temperature reaches 118ºC, pour it in a thin stream into the whipped egg whites without stopping the whisking. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form while cooling the meringue.
- Sugar: 120 g
- Water: 100 ml
- Egg white: 60 g
7
Fill the tart with cream and decorate the top with meringue. You can place it under the grill for 30-60 seconds to brown the meringue, or use a torch, or just leave it as is.
- Lemon juice: 75 ml
- Lemon zest: 2 pieces
- Egg white: 60 g
- Sugar: 120 g