Lemon Tartlets With Meringue Caps Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place six 3 1/4-inch tart rings on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pate sucree into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer dough to a baking sheet; chill until firm.
• Using a 4 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out six circles from dough and fit each circle into prepared tart rings, pressing crust into bottom and against sides; chill until firm. Trim edges to make even. Line chilled tart shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until bottom of crust is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove pie weights and parchment paper; pierce bottom of dough with tines of a fork. Reduce temperature to 325 and continue baking until crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Carefully remove tart rings and transfer tart shells to a wire rack to cool.
• Fill cooled tart shells with lemon curd. Pipe about 1/4 cup meringue onto the surface of each tartlet in a decorative pattern. Transfer tartlets to freezer until chilled.
• Using a kitchen torch, toast meringue, moving flame back and forth until evenly browned, or place tartlets under a preheated broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to brown.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make the shells: Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg whites, one at a time. Mix in flour and vanilla.
• Spoon 1 scant teaspoon batter onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Using the back of a teaspoon, spread into a 3-inch circle. Repeat 4 times. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies, one at a time, to inverted small tartlet shells or brioche molds; gently press to shape. Let set, about 30 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter. If cookies become too cool to shape, return them to oven for 20 seconds. Shells can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees. Make the meringue caps: Put egg whites and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water; whisk until sugar has dissolved. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and meringue is cool, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 7/16-inch star tip (such as Ateco No. 825). Pipe 20 spirals, 1 1/4 inches round and 2 inches high, onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150 degrees. Bake until dry but not brown, about 2 hours more. Transfer meringues to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• Make the curd: Whisk egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, and sugar in a heavy, medium saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in salt. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth. Pour curd through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface. Refrigerate until cold and set, at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
• To serve, spoon 2 teaspoons curd into each shell. Top each with a meringue cap.

Steps:

• Make the crusts: Pulse the flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough starts coming together. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk and wrap in the plastic. Refrigerate until cold but still malleable, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter four 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Divide the prepared dough into 4 pieces, then press into the bottom and up the side of each prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes, then use a paring knife to trim the excess pastry.
• Place the tart shells on a baking sheet, line each with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crusts are golden brown all over, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool, then carefully loosen the crusts but leave in the pans on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until the mixture simmers, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and limoncello and continue whisking over medium heat until thick like pudding, 4 to 6 more minutes. Spoon the curd into the prepared crusts.
• Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, 4 to 5 more minutes. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bagfitted with a star tip and pipe onto the tarts. Bake at 375 degrees F until the meringue is set and golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely before unmolding.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the pastry: Roll the pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 6 (6-inch) rounds. Place the pastry in 6 (4-inch) tart molds. With a knife trim the excess pastry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Line each tart shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill to the rim with pie weights.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the pie weights and parchment from the tart shells and bake for 10 minutes.
• For the filling: Whisk together the lemon juice, eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Pour the lemon mixture into a medium pot. Place over medium heat and stir with a spatula for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour the lemon mixture onto a baking sheet and cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled lemon mixture or curd into the baked tart shells.
• For the meringue: Beat the egg whites with the vanilla extract and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished meringue should have stiff glossy peaks. Mound the meringue on top of the tarts.
• Make sure there is a good seal between the meringue and the edge of the crust. Bake the tarts in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the molds.
• Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter and shortening into the flour. Combine the mixture with your fingers until it resembles cornmeal. Add the ice cold water and mix with a spoon, pulling the water into the flour until a dough forms.
• With your hands, shape the dough into 2 balls and flatten them into disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Put the flour mixture in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse about 10 times until the butter is in small bits. Add the ice water and process until the dough comes together. Dump on a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• 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.
• 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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in 2 egg whites, 1 at a time. Mix in flour and vanilla.
• Spoon 1 scant teaspoon batter onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Using the back of a spoon, spread into a 3-inch circle. Repeat 3 times. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies, 1 at a time, to inverted small brioche molds; gently press to shape. Let set, about 30 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter, baking 4 at a time. If cookies become too cool to shape, return them to oven for 20 seconds. Shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Reduce heat to 200°F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer set over (not in) a pan of simmering water, whisk remaining 3 egg whites and the granulated sugar until whites are warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved. Attach bowl to mixer; beat on medium until foamy, then raise speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is cool, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 7/16-inch star tip (such as Ateco #825). Pipe twenty 1 1/4-inch diameter, 2-inch high spirals onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 150°F. Bake until dry but not brown, about 2 hours more. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meringue caps can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
• To serve, spoon 2 teaspoons lemon curd into each shell. Top each with a meringue cap.

Steps:

• For the crust: Place 12 identical 3 1/4-inch brioche a tete molds in the freezer.
• Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to 2 to 4 times, then add butter and pulse 8 to 10 times, until texture looks mealy and no large lumps of butter remain. Pour on water and pulse 5 times. (At this point, the mixture should hold together when squeezed.) Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and draw the plastic up around it, squeezing and pressing the dough into a ball. Flatten into a 1-inch-thick disk and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap and place on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Dust the top of the disk with a small amount of flour and top with a second sheet of parchment. Roll dough out into a round 1/8-inch thick. Use a 5-inch biscuit cutter and cut 6 circles out of the dough. Re-roll once if necessary.
• Remove the brioche molds from the freezer. Line 6 of the molds with the dough, being careful to press the dough into all the nooks and crannies. Gently run the rolling pin over the tops of the molds to trim the edges. Nestle each of the empty brioche molds inside the molds with the dough. Place the sandwiched molds in the freezer refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven with a second just beneath it.
• Remove the sandwiched molds from the freezer. Place them, inverted, directly on the center rack with a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any butter that might render out. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the molds from the oven. Flip right-side up and remove the top molds.
• Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F, return the tart shells to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove the tart shells from the oven and let cool completely on a baking rack before removing the shells from the molds.
• For the lemon filling: Whisk egg yolks until light in color in a medium nonreactive bowl and set aside.
• Whisk cornstarch, sugar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by slowly adding the hot starch mixture to them in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until a third of the starch mixture has been worked into the eggs, then return that mixture to the saucepan. Whisk in the butter and continue heating until just boiling.
• Stir in the lemon juice and zest, reduce heat to medium-low and whisk constantly until mixture returns to a boil. Cook for 1 full minute more, then transfer to a medium bowl over an ice bath. Cool, stirring occasionally, until the curd is just slightly warmer than room temperature. (Do not chill or cool completely, or the curd will become difficult to spread.) Pour or use a pastry or zip top bag with the corner cut off to pipe the mostly cooled curd into the tart shells until flush with the tops of the shells. Cool filled tarts completely on a baking rack while you make the meringue topping.
• For the meringue: Whisk together the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar, cream of tartar and salt in the heat-proof bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 165 degrees F. Then return the bowl to the base of the stand mixer and whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
• Pipe the meringue to cover the top of the cooled tarts. Brown the meringue under a preheated low broiler, about 1 minute, or with a kitchen torch.