Adobe Stock | Photo by anaumenko
This sweet and sour dessert is full of bright flavors and a light, airy texture that’s made even better with Crown Maple syrup.
Crown Maple Lemon Meringue Tart
Makes four tarts
Ingredients for the Pate Sucre crust:
4½ cups all-purpose flour
Just under 1 cup almond flour
1¼ cup (2¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2¾ cups powdered sugar
3 whole eggs
¾ tsp Kosher salt
Method:
Cream soft butter, sugar, and almond flour with a mixer. Slowly add eggs and salt and scrape sides well.
Add flour and mix until combined.
Place dough onto a parchment-lined sheet tray and refrigerate until firm.
Divide dough into 4 parts and roll each portion into a 10-inch circle.
Line each circle into a 8-inch fluted tart shell.
Pre-bake tart shell using baking beans separated by parchment at 350°F until lightly golden brown.
Remove beans and let tarts cool completely.
Ingredients for the lemon curd:
Juice of 2 lbs fresh-squeezed Meyer lemons (about 4 cups of juice)
2 lbs (8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2½ lbs Crown Maple sugar (4 10-oz. packages)
About 18 whole eggs
1.1 oz gelatin leaves
Method:
Bloom gelatin in ice water.
Combine Meyer lemon juice, eggs, maple sugar, and butter in a bowl and place over a double boiler.
Cook the curd, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 165°F.
Squeeze excess water from gelatin and add directly to heated curd. Stir to combine, and strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Pour directly into pre-baked tart shells (see above; may be made in advance and refrigerated). Melt curd over a double boiler gently to fill.
Place tarts in freezer to set.
Ingredients for the Crown Maple Meringue:
2 cups egg whites (about 18 egg whites)
5 cups Crown Maple Extra Dark syrup
Method:
Place egg whites into a 5-quart stand mixer and stir gently on low.
In the meantime, heat maple syrup in a high-walled sauce pot (syrup bubbles up when cooked) until it reaches 230°F. Turn mixer on high speed, adding a few drops of canola oil to keep syrup from over-boiling.
Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches 239°F, then pour it down the sides of the mixing bowl while egg whites are beating. Mix meringue until cool.
Place meringue into a piping bag and pipe over frozen lemon tarts.
Place finished tarts back in the freezer to set. Once meringue is firm, remove from freezer, and slice with a hot, dry knife.
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
