Mini lemon meringue pies

The Secret to Non-Weep Meringue and Lemon Curd Tartlets

I filled  these little pastry cases with home made Lemon Curd and topped them with this perfect meringue.  Read on for the secret to this non-weep meringue.

Pastry cases and tarts

The secret to a non-weep meringue is a simple Italian Meringue.  This differs from a French or Swiss meringue as Italian meringue is made by beating egg whites until they reach soft fluffy peaks, and then slowly adding a hot sugar syrup, and beating the mixture until it is cold, thick and glossy. It tends to hold its volume better than others, is very stable and and as the hot sugar syrup cooks the egg white it is not necessary to place it in the oven to brown.   I use a kitchen blow torch which browns  the top giving it a store bought professional look.  And if you haven’t got a kitchen blow torch you should get one, they are loads of fun and easy to use.

No blow torch, no problem…… you can spread the meringue on top of your pies and bake them in the oven just until the top browns slightly without worrying about having an under cooked meringue as the syrup has already cooked it.

Lemon curd in a bottle

TIPS

  • When making meringue, it’s important to start with a clean dry bowl and clean tools. Any grease or water can prevent the egg whites from forming soft peaks.
  • using cream of tartar not only stabilises the egg whites and allows them to maintain their texture when whipped into stiff peaks, but it also increases their tolerance to heat.
  • Room-temperature egg whites whip to a higher volume, but it’s easier to separate the yolks from the whites when the eggs are chilled. The answer is to separate the yolks and whites while the eggs are cold, then set the whites aside for 10 minutes to get them to room temperature.
  •  Choose a dry day to make your meringues, otherwise the humidity in the air will suck up the moisture and the meringues never quite set up properly.

Lemon meringue tarts

Italian Meringue is often used to frost cakes, or as a base for buttercream frostings and to top pies, lighten ice creams and in mousses.

Lemon Meringue Pie

For the lemon curd get my recipe here Taste of Sunshine Lemon Curd

Single Lemon Meringue tart for shades of cinnamon

 

4.5 from 2 votes
Pastry cases and tarts
Pastry Cases
Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 
Course: pastry
Author: shades of cinnamon
Ingredients
  • cups (225G) plain flour
  • ½ cup (80G) icing sugar , sifted
  • 125 G butter , chilled and chopped
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 Tblsp iced water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
  2. Place the flour, icing sugar and chopped butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. With the motor running, add the egg yolks and iced water and process until the mixture just comes together to form a dough.
  4. Turn out onto a clean work surface and bring together to form a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to 3mm thick.
  6. Using pastry cutters of your choice , cut out rounds and line lightly greased mini tins of your choice leaving 1cm excess pastry overhanging. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
  7. Prick the base of each pastry case with a fork and line with non-stick baking paper and then fill with uncooked rice or beans and cook for 15-20 minutes.
  8. Remove the baking paper and rice and cook for a further 10–12 minutes or until the pastry is golden and dry. Set aside to cool slightly.
  9. Using a small serrated knife, carefully trim the excess pastry.

 

 

4.5 from 2 votes
Single Lemon Meringue tart for shades of cinnamon
Lemon Meringue Tartlets Meringue
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 mins
Total Time
16 mins
 
Course: Baking
Author: shades of cinnamon
Ingredients
  • cups (330g) castor sugar
  • cup (80ml) water
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • 115 m egg whites (approx. 3 eggs) at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Place the sugar, water and cream of tartar in a saucepan over high heat.
  2. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes.
  3. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. While the motor is running, add the hot sugar syrup in a thin steady stream and whisk for 1–2 minutes or until thick and glossy.
  4. Spoon the meringue over the filling and, using a kitchen blowtorch, torch until lightly golden.
  5. If you don’t have a kitchen blowtorch, preheat a grill to high and cook for 30 seconds–1 minute or until lightly golden brown.

 

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10 Comments

  • Reply Susan P March 22, 2017 at 4:14 PM

    These look so professional Ev. Lovely images as always

  • Reply Pam Pretorius March 22, 2017 at 4:16 PM

    Beautiful pictures of a beautiful tart. This looks way too hard for me to make but great to look at.

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon March 22, 2017 at 4:18 PM

      They are a little time consuming, thanks for your comments Pam

  • Reply Susee March 24, 2017 at 5:24 PM

    The presentation of your recipes always looks amazing, like your dishes are going to jump out of the page and we can eat them right then and there.

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon March 25, 2017 at 3:17 PM

      Thanks so much Susee. It’s been so long, I hope you will soon be settling into your new home. Miss you my friend. xxx

  • Reply ratna March 30, 2017 at 7:44 PM

    They look so professional Ev! Let me guess the lemons are from your garden, I envy you. My indoor lime plant is aphid infested and fighting for life…

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon April 2, 2017 at 9:16 PM

      Yes, the lemons are from my tree – such a little beauty that never stops fruiting. But then again we have such perfect hot weather year round. I do hope that Spring has finally come your way and that you will be back out taking pictures of all those pretty flowers that come with Spring in your beautiful part of the world.

  • Reply Moira April 23, 2021 at 6:20 PM

    Hello! Thank you so much for this lovely recipe. I was however wondering how much egg whites we should use in g or mL considering egg sizes change all the time. Would love to know about this! Once again thank you and keep posting these beautiful things!

    • Reply Shades of Cinnamon May 5, 2021 at 11:27 AM

      Hi, thanks so much for the compliment. Generally 1 large egg is 45ml or 3 tablespoons. , 1 large egg white is 30ml or 2 tablespoons. Or you could weigh them once you have taken the yolk out. I hope that helps. Take care and stay safe

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