Mini Lemon Meringue Pies Recipe 455

Steps:

• To make the lemon filling, combine water, lemon juice, sugar and flours in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Stir yolks, butter and zest into the mixture until butter is completely melted and then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 200°C Lightly grease three 12-hole, mini muffin pans. Using a 6.5cm round cutter, cut 9 rounds from each pastry sheet. Use pastry to line muffin holes until you have 36. Place pans in freezer for 10 minutes or until pastry is firm. Bake pastry cases for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden. Remove from oven. Spoon 1 teaspoon of lemon filling into each pastry case.
• Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue is thick and glossy. Spoon the meringue into a piping bag and pipe meringue over top of lemon filling in a swirl that comes to a peak. Bake for 5 minutes or until meringue is set and just starting to brown at the top. Cool completely in pans before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into six 7-inch-diameter circles; place in six 4 1/2-inch pie pans. Crimp edges, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and prick bottoms of shells with a fork.
• Line piecrusts with parchment paper, and fill shells with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Transfer to oven; bake until edges begin to turn brown, about 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights. Continue baking until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Sift together 1 1/4 cups sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Stir in 2 cups water, and mix until smooth; set aside.
• In a nonreactive saucepan, combine lemon juice, 5 egg yolks, and pinch of salt. Set over medium heat, and stir in cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the lemon zest and butter. Pour filling into a bowl, and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
• Pour lemon filling into the six piecrusts. Cover; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Heat broiler. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a simmer. Combine 7 egg whites, the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl of an electric mixer. Hold bowl over simmering water; whisk until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Return bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until stiff peaks form. Using an offset spatula, spread each pie with meringue so the filling is covered and the meringue touches the edges of the piecrusts. Transfer pies to broiler, and lightly brown the meringue, watching constantly, 30 to 45 seconds. Remove from broiler, and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Serve.

Steps:

• Lemon curd: In a large microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth and thoroughly combined. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave on full power for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute. This process will take about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. You will know the lemon curd is done cooking when it coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, push through a fine, mesh sieve and set aside. Place the tart shells on a tray or baking sheet. Spoon the lemon curd into a piping bag and fill each tart with lemon curd. Fit a piping bag with a large Star Tip. Spoon the meringue into the piping bag and pipe a small dollop of meringue onto each mini tart. Store tarts in the refrigerator until ready serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Cut a dozen 10cm circles from pastry and line a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin. Prick the bases and chill for 30 minutes.
• Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden, then cool.
• Whisk yolks, condensed milk, zest and juice in a bowl and set aside to thicken.
• In another bowl, beat whites to form soft peaks.
• Gradually add sugar, still beating, until you have a thick and glossy "meringue".
• Spoon the lemon filling into the pastry cases and top each with meringue, creating little peaks by drawing the spoon up.
• Bake for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roll out pastry and use to line 8 x 10cm fluted loose-bottomed tart cases, leaving a little pastry overhanging. Prick the cases with a fork and bake blind for 20 mins (removing the paper and beans after 15 mins) until pale golden brown. Set aside to cool. When cool, use a serrated knife to neatly level the pastry.
• Meanwhile, put the zest, juice, butter and 225g sugar into a large heavy-based pan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then remove the pan from the heat. Beat the whole eggs and yolks together, then stir into the pan. Stir over a low heat for 5-10 mins until thickened. Sieve into a bowl, then spoon into the cases. Any leftover curd will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Whisk the egg whites with 50g sugar in a grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the vinegar, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar. 4 Put a good dollop of meringue on top of each tart, then dip a palette knife in hot water and make little peaks on each. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until just browned on top. Allow to cool, then serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat the 3 yolks in a bowl until smooth; set aside.
• Whisk 3/4 cup of sugar with cornstarch and flour in a saucepan until thoroughly mixed; beat in the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to a simmer. Add the egg yolks and butter, and mix with the whisk until the filling is smooth and thickened; remove from heat. Spoon the hot lemon filling into the mini graham cracker crusts.
• Beat the egg whites in a metal or glass bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar and the almond extract with an electric mixer until the meringue is fluffy and holds stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Top each lemon pie with about 1 inch of the meringue and spread into decorative swirls and peaks with a spatula. Cover all the lemon filling with meringue.
• Bake in preheated oven until the meringue is lightly golden brown with darker brown peaks and swirls, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.