Lemon Meringue Tart - Serves 8

Today 14th August is national 'lemon meringue day' so i've created this really easy lemon tart recipe for you. With the pastry i managed to get one long tart and 3 mini tartlets. Lelah and i also used my husbands blow torch to torch the meringue to get that golden colour ( you can just pop it under the grill if you don't have a blowtorch). Yummy!

Ingredients:

Pastry
150g Plain Flour
 45g Icing Sugar 
 100g Butter, chilled and chopped
 1 Egg yolk
Lemon filling
 2 Eggs
 100 ml Thickened Cream
 55g Caster Sugar
 2 teaspoons Lemon Rind, grated
60ml Lemon Juice (fresh lemon juice is better)
Meringue topping
 2 Egg Whites
70g Caster Sugar

Method:

To make the pastry, process the flour, icing sugar and butter in your thermocook until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs ( took about 10secs in speed 10). Add the egg yolk and process until mixture just comes together. Gently knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface big enough to cover your tin, i used a 35x13cm tart tin. Trim edges. Use the remaining pastry to line as many mini tart tins until it's all used up. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
To make the lemon filling, whisk the eggs, cream, sugar, lemon rind and juice together in a large bowl. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the tart & tarlet tins on an oven tray. Line with baking paper and fill with pastry beads or dried rice. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 8 minutes or until pastry is light golden. Remove from oven. Reduce oven to 180°C.
Pour the lemon mixture evenly into the pastry cases. Bake for 15 minutes or until lemon filling is almost set. Remove from oven. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool to room temperature. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill if wanted.
To make the meringue, use an electric mixer ( i use my kitchenaid) to whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. Gradually add the sugar whisking constantly until mixture is thick and glossy (this didn't take long). Spoon into a piping bag with a round nozzle. Pipe even dots onto the large lemon tart. Use a blowtorch to lightly grill the meringue. Place on serving plates to serve.

Tip: You can place the meringue under a hot grill to toast if you don't have a blowtorch.

Tip: try different pattens with the merginue to get different textures.