Lemon Meringue Tart Recipe
Zesty lemon curd in a crisp pastry shell, topped with golden meringue
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Ingredients
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Pastry Shell (Sweet Tart Crust)
Lemon Curd Filling
Meringue Topping
Method
Pastry Shell (Sweet Tart Crust)
- 1
Make the dough
Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in very cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingertip-pinching until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces.
- 2
Add wet ingredients
Whisk the egg yolk, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon ice water together. Sprinkle over the flour-butter mixture and gently mix with a spatula until dough begins to come together. Add a second teaspoon of water only if dry. Do not overwork.
- 3
- 4
Blind bake
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 8–10 more minutes until edges are golden and center set. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven to 325°F (160°C) for finishing if browning later.
Lemon Curd Filling
- 5
Temper eggs and cook curd
In a heatproof bowl or saucepan, whisk together whole eggs, egg yolk, and granulated sugar until combined. Whisk in lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook mixture over low–medium heat, stirring constantly, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan (or use a double boiler) to prevent scrambling. Stir continuously until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 8–10 minutes; temperature should reach about 170–175°F (77–80°C).
- 6
Finish with butter and strain
Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cold butter pieces a few at a time until fully incorporated and curd is glossy. Stir in 1/8 tsp salt. For extra smoothness, strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and zest if desired. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin and chill slightly until just warm or room temperature (about 20–30 minutes).
- 7
Fill tart shell
Pour the warm (not hot) lemon curd into the baked tart shell, spreading evenly. Chill in refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to set enough to hold meringue but not fully cold (this helps meringue adhere).
Meringue Topping
- 8
Whip the meringue
Ensure mixing bowl and whisk are completely clean and dry. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer), combine room-temperature egg whites and salt. Beat on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating. Increase speed to high and beat until glossy, stiff peaks form and sugar feels dissolved when rubbed between your fingers (about 3–4 minutes). Beat in vanilla.
- 9
Top the tart
Spoon or pipe the meringue over the slightly chilled lemon curd, making peaks or swirls and ensuring meringue seals to the pastry edge to prevent shrinking.
- 10
Brown the meringue
Option A - Broiler: Position oven rack 6–8 inches from the broiler. Preheat broiler. Place tart on a sheet pan and broil, watching constantly, until meringue peaks are golden brown, 30–60 seconds. Option B - Kitchen torch: Use a culinary torch to evenly brown the meringue peaks until golden. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to fully set the curd.