Lemon Meringue Tartlets

Patricia Conte/Grab a Plate

Yields 5 individual tartlets, or 1, 9-inch pie

Lemon Meringue Tartlets

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Ingredients

For the tartlet shells:
• 2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (or graham crackers)
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
For the lemon filling:
• 2 lemons, juiced
• Zest from one lemon
• 3 eggs yolks (save the whites for the meringue)
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
For the meringue:
• 3 egg whites
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the tartlet shells:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and lightly spray the tartlet tins with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pulse the vanilla wafer cookies in a food processor until crumbs form. You can also place the cookies in a sealed plastic baggie and crush them with a rolling pin.
3. Combine both the cookie crumbs and melted butter in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Divide the cookie mixture evenly between the tins, and gently press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tins.
5. Place the tins on a baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes, just until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and cool.
For the lemon filling:
6. Add the egg yolks to a small bowl and beat them with a fork. Set aside.
7. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add the sugar, cornstarch, and water, a little at a time.
8. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Bring it to a boil and cook it for another minute.
9. Add half the thickened mixture to the egg yolks to temper them, and stir. Spoon that egg mixture back into the pan, simmer few a minutes, stirring, then remove the pan from the heat.
10. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and butter to the pan and mix well.
11. While the filling is hot, spoon it into your cooled tartlet shells.
For the meringue:
12. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
13. Add the egg whites to a medium-sized bowl and beat with a hand mixer until they’re foamy.
14. Add the sugar to the egg whites, a little at a time, while mixing.
15. Continue to mix until smooth, stiff peaks form.
16. Add the vanilla extract to the meringue while mixing.
17. When ready, spoon the meringue evenly over the filling in the tins, all the way to the edges.
18. Bake the tartlets for about 10-15 minutes, or until the meringue begins to brown just slightly. Keep an eye on the tartlets while baking to help ensure they don’t burn.
19. Allow the tartlets to cool. Refrigerate until chilled, and serve.

Notes