Lemon Meringue With Passion Fruit Coulis Recipe

Make dough

In a food processor pulse flour, powdered sugar and salt to combine. Add cold diced butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon ice water; pulse just until dough starts to come together. If too dry, add up to 1 teaspoon additional cold water.

Chill and roll

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, press into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator 30 minutes.

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough to about 1/8 inch thick and fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges, line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 8–10 more minutes until golden. Let cool slightly while preparing filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) if you plan on finishing meringue in oven briefly.

Cook curd

In a medium heatproof bowl whisk together 3 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth. Set a saucepan with 1–2 inches of simmering water (double boiler) and place bowl over it (bowl should not touch water). Stir mixture constantly until it thickens to a custard-like consistency and reaches about 170–175°F (77–80°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 8–12 minutes.

Finish curd

Remove from heat and whisk in cold cubed butter a few pieces at a time until fully incorporated and glossy. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove zest and any cooked egg bits. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill until cool but still pourable, about 20–30 minutes.

Fill tart

Pour chilled lemon curd into the cooled tart shell, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Chill in refrigerator 15–20 minutes to set slightly while you prepare the coulis and meringue.

Make coulis

Combine 1 cup passion fruit pulp, 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 3–4 minutes to slightly thicken and intensify flavor. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.

Strain (optional)

If you prefer a seedless coulis, press through a fine mesh sieve and discard seeds; otherwise let seeds remain for texture. Cool to room temperature. Reserve about 2 tablespoons for garnish and set rest aside to drizzle when serving.

Swirl (optional)

For a decorative swirl, drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of cooled coulis over the lemon curd and use a skewer to create a marbled pattern before applying the meringue.

Whip meringue

In a clean, dry mixing bowl, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, increasing speed to high and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved (rub a little between fingers to check for grittiness). Whisk in vanilla extract.

Top tart

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) if you intend to bake the meringue briefly. Pile or pipe meringue over the lemon curd (and swirled coulis if used), making sure it seals to the tart shell edges to prevent shrinking.

Brown meringue

Option A — Oven method: Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 6–10 minutes until meringue is lightly golden. Option B — Torch method: Use a kitchen blowtorch to brown the meringue evenly, moving flame continuously to avoid burning. Cool for 10 minutes before transferring to refrigerator for a short rest (15–20 minutes).

Drizzle reserved passion fruit coulis over slices or spoon small pools on serving plates. Spoon remaining pulpy seeds on top of the meringue or around the tart for garnish. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired. Let tart rest 15–20 minutes in refrigerator to set fully before slicing with a hot, clean knife for cleaner cuts.