lemon zestuse whatever you can get from your lemons
1/3cupfresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2cupunsalted butter1 stick
For the Meringue
5large egg whitesroom temperature
1-1/4cupsuperfine sugar
1tspcream of tartar
Special Tools
Mini tart or cupcake pansfrench piping tip, piping bag, handheld blow torch
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
In a food processor, place flour, salt, and confectioner's sugar and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse until it becomes a coarse meal and starts to come together. Put one heaping teaspoon of dough in a mini tart pan or mini cupcake pan and press along the sides. Prick dough with a skewer or tooth pick then place in the freezer while the oven is preheating.
Preheat oven to 425°F then bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are brown. Cool on a baking rack.
Lemon Curd Filling
Fill a small pot with 1 inch of water and simmer. In a non-reactive bowl (that fits over the pot), whisk together yolks, sugar until combined. Dissolve cornstarch in lemon juice then add to the yolk and sugar mixture. Place bowl over the pot and whisk until thickened. Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in lemon zest and butter, one pat at a time, until it's combined with the filling.
Meringue
Whisk together egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar is dissolved (if using a candy thermometer, it would read around 155°F-160°F). Using a whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat on med-high until stiff peaks form.
Fit a piping bag with french tip and fill it with the meringue.
Assembly
Fill lemon filling level with the tart.
Starting from the outside and moving towards the center, swirl meringue on top of tart, making sure to fill over the edge of the crust (so it won't slide off).
Brown tops of meringue using a handheld blow torch.
Recipe Notes
Waste not! You'll probably have extra meringue. Use them to make meringue cookies - You can spoon or pipe it onto parchment or a silicone mat and bake at 200°F for two hours.