Passion Fruit and Lemon Meringue Tartlets
- Christina's Cucina
- Nov 4, 2015
- 3 min read
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry
125g butter, at room temperature 75g confectioner’s (icing) sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 240g all purpose flour, sifted
Filling
zest of one lemon (unwaxed, preferably organic) juice of 2 passion fruits and 1 to 2 lemons to make up 100g of juice 100g sugar 2 eggs 90g cold butter, cut into pieces 3/8 tsp powdered gelatin
Meringue topping
2 egg whites 90g sugar
A note about passion fruits: the fruit in the photo above are unripe, after a day or two, they will begin to wrinkle, indicating that they are ripe. You can then cut them in half and scoop out the seeds to eat or use.
Make the pastry by placing the butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer, and beat until pale and creamy. Gradually add the egg, vanilla and flour until well-mixed, then stop. Form into a ball, wrap in cling wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Remove from the fridge and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) convection (fan assisted). Regular ovens temps will be 350°F (180°C).
Roll the pastry out to 1/8 to 3/16″ thickness using a rolling pin and turning regularly on a lightly floured surface (not too much flour or it will affect the pastry).
Cut around each tart mold a little larger, so that the pastry will overhang when placed inside; press the pastry into the mold, then press the rolling pin over the top, to make a clean edge.
Prick the base of the tartlet with the tines of a fork.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough to make 7 more shells. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven or until the pastry just starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then remove from molds and set aside.
Make the filling by first, juicing the passion fruits. Cut in half, scrape the seeds into a small sieve and push with the back of a teaspoon to remove the juice from the seeds. Add the juice of a lemon or two to make 100ml of juice, total. There won’t be a lot of juice, but don’t be afraid, the flavor comes through.
Mix the gelatin with a tablespoon of water and set aside.
Place the passion fruit/lemon juice mixture into a small saucepan with the sugar, zest and eggs and whisk over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Remove from the heat, strain to remove the zest then whisk in the gelatine and butter.
Pour the filling directly into the tartlet shells and place in the fridge until just before serving.
When ready to serve, make the meringue topping. Whisk the egg whites at medium-high speed in a stand mixer and gradually add the sugar when the whites begin to froth. Increase the speed to high, and continue adding the sugar until the meringue forms strong, glossy peaks.
Spoon or pipe the meringue onto the top of each tartlet, spreading it evenly over the entire filling.
Jill says to use the back of the spoon to make little cones, or peaks to decorate the topping.
When all the tarts are all topped, bake in very hot oven, 400°F (200°C) for about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, brown with a blowtorch, which is what I did.) Remove from oven and chill until ready to serve.
Variations: You can just use lemon juice (100ml), rather than adding the passion fruit; you can serve these without the meringue and topped with fruit, or make a chocolate pastry instead.
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