Making classic lemon meringue easier with puff pastry and tastier with Meyer Lemons! One of our favourite desserts and Meyer Lemon recipes.
I feel like I could be the chimney sweep character in Mary Poppins who does the heel click as he’s joyfully whistling down the street when I make anything sweet involving citrus. Do you remember that scene?
What is different about Meyer Lemons? In particular as they’re so freaking good, don’t pack as much tang as regular lemons, but are still filled with fantastic citrus notes that brighten dishes with flavour and colour. They’re less tart than a regular lemon, almost like a cross between a sweet orange and a lemon, and they have a thinner skin.
I made this Meyer Lemon Meringue Tart easy by using store-bought puff pastry. One roll, a quick bake and the tart is ready to be filled! And, truth be told (please don’t hurt me), I usually prefer puff pastry versus pie crust. Not always, but I love how light, pliable, and even special it feels to me (more mille-feuille versus apple pie kind of feels).
To me, citrus represents, big hits of vibrant fruit flavours and Vitamin C to get us through Winter. They hold so much flavour in such a little amount. Meyer Lemons are naturally sweeter and lean into sweet dishes easily.
What’s the best use for Meyer Lemons? Since they don’t hold as much acidity as regular lemons, I wouldn’t recommend them for brightening up savoury dishes the way we use regular lemons. If Meyer Lemons are not available in your location, regular lemons will do just fine in this tart. Sweets and cocktails are my usual go to for Meyer Lemons, but they also preserve well in salt.
This tart was a complete and utter fail the first time I made it. I made it for my street’s regular Friday Happy Hour as it was my turn to host (yes, this is a thing for me and yes, I live on a great street with really fun people).
It was moderately embarrassing and I didn’t even bother to torch the meringue since I knew it was a fail. The curd would not set. I’m still uncertain at what went wrong as I couldn’t get that thick custard-like consistency that goes with lemon curds. In lieu, I had a tart that literally oozed out from the centre all over the cutting board. Regardless, the kids loved it.
Round 2 was miles better. The curd turned out nicely; perfect consistency. I triple checked all my measurements and even discovered that meringue keeps in the fridge!!
My friend Liv tells me that she even freezes her version of meringue. So if you end up with extra, feel confident in parking it in the fridge for a couple of days, freeze for a month, or bake immediately into meringues, like these Triple Chocolate ones, here.
Obviously, the entire family loved this tart. I ate the majority of it of course, but once you’ve tried a bite of this tart I doubt you’ll walk away without seconds.
Making classic lemon meringue easier with puff pastry and tastier with Meyer Lemons! One of our favourite desserts and Meyer Lemon recipes.
- 250 grams frozen puff pastry usually 1 package
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 medium meyer lemons, zest and juiced
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp salted butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces
- 6 large egg whites 6 tbsp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 375* F. Place rolled out pastry into pastry tin and press pastry against bottom and sides of a fluted tart pan (I used 13" x 4") until snug inside. Using a fork, punch holes into the pastry (base and sides). Brush pastry with egg wash. Line the bottom with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pastry is browning and cooked through. Allow to cool fully and remove pie weights and parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a medium sauce pan, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until just mixed. Stir in the Meyer lemon juice and zest, then all 6 tablespoons of butter. Place over low to medium heat (edging closer to low as if the eggs get too hot too quickly they will scramble) and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken and can coat the back of a wooden spoon. About 10-15 minutes or when the mixture reaches a temperature of 170° F (if a candy thermometer is available). Allow to cool and set aside.
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Place egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (set with a whisk attachment). Using a double-boiler method, place bowl above a sauce filled with a couple of inches of water set above medium heat for a simmer (never allowing the bowl to touch the water). Heat the mixture until extremely warm to the touch, or has reached 160° F if using a candy thermometer. Remove the bowl from heat and carefully set into the stand mixer.
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Mix on high until stiff glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add vanilla extract and whisk briefly to combine. The bowl should have lost all heat and returned to room temperature (touch the outside of the bowl with your wrist to see).
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Quickly whisk cooled curd to smooth it out and place curd inside cooled pastry. Top with meringue using a piping bag and a 1M star shaped tip (there maybe some leftover*). If you have a torch, carefully and lightly toast meringue if desired .
- There maybe some meringue leftover. Meringue will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days and freezes well for a month or two.
Enjoy! xo
Meyer Lemon Curd from Chez Panisse Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie on New York Times.
Meringue Recipe, quartered from Tessa Huff’s Layered Cookbook.
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