Lemon Meringue Tartelettes

Notes: Homemade lemon curd is wonderful in these tartelettes, but a good quality store-bought brand would be fine, too. You can find my recipe for lemon curd in my Tasty Kitchen recipe box, or on my blog. The prep time noted above includes the time you will need to chill the tartelette dough.

Chill a clean, medium bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Preheat oven to 350° F. Pull out your mini-muffin tin (the recipe makes 22).

Meanwhile, make the crust: combine flour, all the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine. Add butter and pulse briefly to form tiny bits. Add one whole egg and pulse to blend. If the dough seems dry, add water a few drops at a time until dough holds together when pinched between your fingers.

Add spoonfuls of dough to the cups of a mini muffin pan – approximately one tablespoon each. Using a wooden mini tart press or an inverted, closed bottle, press the dough into the muffin cups to form the tartelette crusts. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from the fridge/freezer, place in the preheated oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool completely. Can be made a day ahead and stored, well wrapped, at cool room temperature or in the fridge.

Make the meringue: separate the remaining two eggs. Reserve yolks for another use. In the chilled bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Remove meringue to a pastry bag or, if you’re like me, a plastic zip bag with the corner cut off. Set aside.

Turn on your oven’s broiler. A few at a time, place cooled pastry crusts on a sheet pan, and fill 3/4 full with lemon curd, about a teaspoon each. Pipe the meringue on top of the curd, covering it completely. Place under the broiler for 30-90 seconds until lightly brown, watching carefully to avoid burning the meringue. (Alternatively, use a kitchen blow torch to brown the meringue.)

Cool slightly, then refrigerate. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes 22 bite-sized tartelettes.