lemon meringue mini tartlets

hey hey! this is my best lemon meringue pie ever made, you should know. hahaha. but at first, for your information i don't really like lemon flavor, it sometimes tastes like car-perfume for me. lol. however, any desserts involving lemon always look more appealing to me. the pale yellow color always strikes me. that's why i never stop making lemon-desserts, fortunately mom loves anything tangy.

i made lemon meringue pie before, but it didn't turn out really good. i over-kneaded the crust and the filling tasted extremely weird. not like this one superstar, these lemon meringue mini tarts have a perfect filling that i even love. it's me the one who doesn't like lemon flavor loves this lemon filling. this recipe is Donna Hay's by the way, she has never disappointed me so far. her combination of flavor always hits me sensationally. the filling tastes a little tart but somehow i can feel creaminess there. moreover, it goes perfect with the sweet meringue top. they complete each other beautifully. if you are a big fan of lemon meringue pie, try this. i think you'll be dazzled.

too bad, i made a crucial mistake to this cute mini tartlets. i must have done something wrong with the egg whites because they couldn't form a stiff glossy peaks. they resemble more like icing so they couldn't stands tall and beautiful. hate it! if only the meringue was perfect, these mini-tartlets would definitely be cuter. other thing to inform, i finally use my blowtorch again, lol. i was sooo afraid before on using it but yesterday with experts' supervisor i used it, it isn't look as scary as i thought. actually i was kind of excited to use it and wanted to use it again really soon, wait for it! hahaha. without further ado, let's see the recipe.

Lemon Meringue Mini Tartlets
modified from Donna Hay

1/2 qty sable pastry

lemon curd:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/8 cup cornflour
1/4 cup milk, extra
40 gr butter, chopped
1/3 cup (90ml) lemon juice
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
3 egg yolks

meringue:
75 ml very fresh egg whites, about 2 eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice

direction:

1. preheat oven to 200 degree C (390 degree F). line a lightly greased mini muffin tins with the pastry and trim edges. prick the base with fork and line with baking paper and baking weights. bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 15 minutes or until golden and crisp, cool on a wire rack. remove pastry from the tins.
2. to make the curd: place the milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. place the cornflour and extra milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. pour the cornflour mixture into the milk mixture and stir to combine. bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low. add the butter and whisk until melted and combined. add the lemon juice, rind and egg yolks and cook, whisking, for 5 minutes or until thickened. do not boil or else it will curdle. spoon the lemon mixture into the pastry case and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
3. to make the meringue: place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form. gradually add the sugar and white vinegar and beat until thick and glossy. spoon the meringue on top of the curd and grill (broil) under a preheated hot grill for 1-2 minutes or until golden and cooked.

what happened in my kitchen?

• i didn't follow the instructions for making meringue at all. that's why my meringue fail. lol. well, you should follow the directions and i can guarantee it will turn out well.
• i didn't use the grill to burn the meringue, i used blowtorch as i've already said. but after a while i think maybe it would be better to use the grill since this meringue hasn't been tempered and probably needs to be broil slowly so that it will be enough cooked. well, it was my opinion, correct me if i'm wrong.

that's all for today's post. these mini tartlets are perfect for entertaining party or brunch. enjoy!

thanks for reading and have a great day! :)