I love making tarts because the possibilities are pretty much endless. Lemon tart is one of the classics that so many of us revisit over time for a number of reasons, and I wanted to make an updated version. I love lemon and raspberry together, so this recipe includes a swirl of raspberry preserves in the curd, then after it sets, we pipe some gorgeous meringue on top and enjoy! This recipe is for a 10 inch tart pan, but if yours is 8 or 9 inch, follow the recipe and you just may have a tiny bit left over!

Serves 8 People

Prep Time: 35 Minutes

Bake Time: 25 Minutes

Chill Time: 4 Hours

Total Time: 5 Hours

Ingredients:

For the Tart Shell:

1 ½ Cups (180g) All Purpose Flour

1 Tbs (13g) Granulated Sugar

¼ Tsp (1g) Salt

½ Cup (113g) Cold Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes

7 Tbs Ice Water

For the Filling:

2 Tbs (20g) Lemon Zest

1 Cup (240mL) Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 Cup (200g) Granulated Sugar

¼ Tsp (1g) Salt

3 Large Eggs

4 Large Egg Yolks

½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, Cut into 1 Tbs Sized Pieces

1/3 Cup (105g) Raspberry Preserves

For the Meringue:

4 Large Egg Whites

1 ¼ Cups (150g) Granulated Sugar

1 Tsp (4g) Vanilla

Directions:

1.     Start by making the tart shell by adding the flour, sugar, salt, and cubed butter into a food processor. Pulse a few times until the butter is broken up, then add the ice water. Blend on the lowest speed until the dough comes together, adding another tablespoon of cold water if the dough is too dry and won’t quite come together. Collect the dough into a disk, cover with plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.

2.     Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees F (190C). Lightly flour a clean surface and roll the dough out until it is 12 inches in diameter, about 1/8 inch thickness. Be sure to keep the dough moving around, re-flouring the counter and the top of your dough as necessary to prevent sticking.

3.     Gently place the dough into a 10-inch tart pan, letting the dough naturally fall into all the corners. You can gently press the dough into all the grooves, but don’t stretch it, because it will shrink while it bakes if you do. Cut the excess dough off so it is clean and flush with the tart pan. If you have a 8 or 9 inch tart pan, you can still follow this recipe completely.

4.     Prick the dough all over with a fork, then freeze for 5 minute. After the freezer, line the dough with foil, fill it with dry beans or rice, and bake for 25 minutes.

5.     Remove the foil and beans, then bake for another 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool completely and make the filling.

6.     Add the lemon zest, juice, sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolks into a saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens into a pudding consistency. Don’t turn the heat too high or stop whisking, because that could risk cooking the eggs.

7.     Turn off the heat and add in the butter, whisking until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer into the baked tart shell, then place tablespoon sized scoops of the raspberry preserves all around the curd, using a knife to swirl it around. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven.

8.     Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic is in full contact with all the lemon curd so it doesn’t form a skin, and allow it to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for a minimum of 4 hours.

9.     To make the meringue, add the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Stir the egg whites constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is just warm to the touch, which will take 5-8 minutes. Don’t let the mixture get too hot. You can use your fingers to see if the sugar is dissolved.

10.  Once the sugar is dissolved, pour the mixture into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on a medium speed for around 5 minutes, or until the mixture is cooled to room temperature. Turn the speed up to high and whip until stiff glossy peaks form. The mixture should stand up on its own when you lift the whisk out of the bowl.

11.  Add the vanilla, beat again for another minute, then either pipe or spread the meringue on top of the chilled lemon curd. Make sure the meringue fully seals in the lemon curd layer and is touching the tart shell all the way around. You can either put this in a 350 Degree oven for a few minutes until the meringue turns light golden brown. But I would recommend using a small kitchen torch if you have one to make the curls of the meringue a nice golden brown. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.