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Mini Lemon Meringue Tart

Author: Brandy O'Neill - Nutmeg Nanny
These adorable mini lemon meringue tarts are the perfect dessert, filled with tangy lemon curd and a sweet meringue topping.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chilling Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 12 mini tarts

Ingredients

For crust:

  • 12 tablespoons butter cubed and cold
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3-1/2 cup ice water see notes

For filling:

  • 4 large egg yolks save the whites for the meringue
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 5 tablespoons butter

For meringue:

Instructions

For crust:

  • Add the cubed butter and all purpose flour to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the butter is broken into the size of peas, about 15 pulses. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also do this with a pastry cutter. 
  • Slowly stream in the ice water while pulsing the food processor. Add just enough water until the dough comes together in a ball around the blade. 
  • Shape the dough into a disc and wrap it tightly in plastic. 
  • Refrigerate for 15 minutes. 
  • Once the crust has chilled, roll it to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Use your desired cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the dough (I used a 3 inch cookie cutter for my mini-tart pan). 
  • Lightly spray your pan with nonstick baking spray and place the crusts into the pan. Poke the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork. 
  • Then, place a a piece of parchment paper over each pie shell and fill it with pie weights (or rice or dried beans). 
  • Blind bake the pie for 15 minutes. Then, remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the shells are golden brown. 
  • Remove the crusts to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. 

For filling:

  • Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the egg yolks, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. 
  • Cook, stirring often, until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon— about 10 minutes. 
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. 
  • Allow the filling to cool completely to room temperature before adding it to the pie shells. 

For meringue

  • Place a heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. 
  • Add the egg whites and granulated sugar to the bowl and whisk constantly for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has fully dissolved and the temperature of the eggs reaches 165F. 
  • Then, transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. 
  • Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. 
  • To assemble, place 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each pie shell. Then, top with a dollop of meringue and toast the top lightly with the kitchen torch. Enjoy immediately and store any leftovers in the fridge for up to two days. 

Notes

    • You may not need the full 1/2 cup of ice water. I like to put 1/2 cup of water into a bowl and then add ice to cool it down. Then I slowly add it to the dough, stopping when the dough forms a ball. 
    • You need to use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue— I don’t recommend using the broiler. If you don’t have one, you can skip the meringue and use whipped cream instead. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon curd tarts, lemon meringue pies, lemon meringue tarts, mini lemon tarts, mini tarts
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