Perfect Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon meringue pie is a classic dessert that is accepted and appreciated 365 days a year. Here we have individual sized portions, made using miniature tart pans with removable bottoms. These pans have become fairly in-expensive and are definitely worth getting your hands on to keep in your baking equipment arsenal.

Ingredients

224 g / 1 cup Mirage Margarine
450 g / 2 cups All-purpose flour, chilled
60g / 1/3 cup Granulated white sugar
4 Egg yolks
1 recipe Lemon Curd
5 egg Whites
225 g / 1 cup Granulated white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325F (160C).
2. In a large bowl, gently cream together the Mirage margarine and 1/3 cup granulated sugar for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.



3. Into the margarine mixture, add in the flour and gently stir the fat into the flour on low speed until the dough is in several small, pea sized pieces.



4. Turn off the mixer and add in the 4 egg yolks. Turn the mixer on low and allow the dough to mix, until an even consistency is reached, making sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula.



5. Using your hands, begin to squeeze together the pieces of dough into one large ball. Flatten the ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Store the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.
6. Preheat your oven to 325F (160C).
7. While the dough is resting, prepare the lemon curd if you have not already done so, and allow it to chill fully.





8. Once the dough has rested, roll it until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut rounds slightly larger than your tart moulds. Press the dough gently into the moulds, patching any holes that occur.





9. Blind bake the tart shells for 20 minutes. Then remove the baking beans, and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until the crust is dry across the bottom and golden brown on the edges. If the edges are browning too quickly, turn down your oven temperature slightly.
10. Once golden and fully baked, remove the shells from the oven and allow them to fully cool before filling.
11. Once the tart shells are cool, and the filling is set, begin filling the shells with as much lemon curd as possible, without it spilling over the edges.



12. Next begin preparing your meringue. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and begin whisking them with an electric mixer on medium speed. Once the whites begin to bubble, reduce your speed to low and begin adding in the sugar slowly a few teaspoons at a time.



13. Once all the sugar is added, turn the speed back up to medium and allow the meringue to whip until it reaches a medium-stiff peak.



14. Place the firm meringue into a piping bag fitted with a flat or star tip and begin piping the fluffy egg topping across the surface of the curd. Repeat this with all the tart shells.



15. Using either a blow torch, or oven broiler set on high, toast the meringue until it reaches a dark amber colour across 90% of the tarts. If you’re nervous with this, try doing it one at a time in the broiler.



16. Your tarts are now ready to be served right away, or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chef Tips

• If your mixing bowl is dirty or wet when you go to make your meringue, it will have troubles gaining any volume, or getting that medium-stiff consistency, as water and fat do not allow the egg whites to trap in air. So if you are having a lot of troubles, sometimes it is best to start again.
• Always make sure your egg whites are free from any yolks, or you will have troubles whipping them.
• If you don’t have mini tart pans with removable bottoms, try making mini tart shells by using a muffin pan or mini-muffin pan. these make for great bite sized snacks.