A slate has been wiped clean with the closing of the cafe. So this week I’ve been searching for the positive. Diving deep into new opportunities while also allowing myself to relax and take a much-needed break. I had a great phone conversation with a close friend – we talked about connecting with your inner child. So my goal this week was to experiment freely and creatively in the kitchen. I ended up creating mini lemon meringue tarts inspired by my first-ever blog recipe back in 2017. 

Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts

All the way back in 2017 I graduated from college. A first generation college student terrified of the next step. My friends moved back to their corners of the U.S. and I came home to live with my parents in Maine. I applied for jobs and dreamed of the future optimistically. To pass the time in a productive and creative way, I decided to use my visual arts degree to create paintings of my favorite ingredients. My mom’s good friend gifted me art supplies, including professional watercolor pigments and brushes. So I first sketched and painted a lemon. One of my very favorite things to cook with.

At the time, too, Masterchef Australia was airing. I don’t remember what season it was, but it was the peak of my obsession. Which still hasn’t waned. One of the show’s best challenges is the invention test – create a dish to “hero” a central ingredient. Use it in multiple, creative ways. So, I chose to give myself the same challenge at home. I was elated and in my creative zone. My lemon dish was a tuile filled with lemon curd and topped with raspberries, coconut gel, and shortbread crumble. 

Growing + Gaining Experience

It’s funny to see how my style has evolved. You would think I’ve gotten even fancier and high-end, but it’s the opposite. The more skills I develop, the more I gravitate towards simple, humble foods. I’m much more fascinated by how to make the ultimate burger, or pizza, or pancakes, rather than turning something into a Michelin star dish. Also – hot take, but I think most fine dining foods pale in comparison to the best home cooking. The original lemon dish I made was overworked. Despite all this, my 21-year-old self fell further in love with cooking and tested some key skills. Gelatinized coconut squares. Lemon curd. Cooking and rolling tulles. 

The presentation was also elementary compared to now. I think painting has helped me a lot with plating. Not in a traditional way, but through my knowledge of colors and composition. I have always been captivated by the simplicity of my food paintings on white backgrounds, so my presentations have become simpler. There’s a phase everyone has when they get really into cooking where they put 18 components on a plate. They smear and drizzle and add crumbles and gels and garnishes. But if it doesn’t add anything essential to the dish, now, I don’t add it. 

Masterchef and Creativity

Masterchef Australia premiered again this week. The premiere episode was incredible! I completely fell in love with multiple contestants and their food. There were squid ink pastas and chiffon cakes. Raw fish and homemade dumplings. Immediately after the first episode I felt so inspired. On fire with creativity. It’s why I love the show. It does something magical to me. So I snuck into the kitchen as the judges were tasting. And I used one of my new nonstick pans, meant for the cafe (a gift from my grandmother) to make a French omelette. With Italian parmesan I bought on an adventure to a gourmet grocery store. And leftover rice.

I knew I wanted to make something lemony this week with two plump leftover fruits that I had saved for the cafe. I had a bucket of eggs, too, that I salvaged from our prep bin. Butter blocks I never used. Fresh jars of flour and sugar. So I decided to make mini lemon meringue tarts. Inspired by those artistic shots of spinning tarts on Instagram you see occasionally with intricately-piped meringue and elegant garnishes. I wanted to make something that could sit in a Michelin star restaurant, inspired by the same vision I had at age 21. And I realized I could re-do that same lemon challenge. At age 30.

Great News + Good Weather

I was so excited. I pictured my mini-lemon tarts in handheld golden tart shells with glistening lemon-yellow filling. Topped with a zen-garden of rippling meringue, raspberries, and herbs. I knew I could work the coconut flavor into the meringue. And I decided not to make a raspberry gel – no way it could be better than fresh raspberries. I wanted a simple lemon curd with sweet meringue and perfectly toasted pâte sucrée, my favorite tart dough. And that’s it. The only other thing in the back of my mind was to add something green on top for spring. 

This week was improved, too, by beautiful spring weather. And the best news we’ve had as a family in a while. My grandmother, now recovered from her hospital stay and pneumonia, found out that the cancerous mass on her lung is not cancerous! It was a scar from an infection. Hopefully no chemo. No hospitals. No radiation. My mom and I took a gorgeous walk down town together on Saturday and delivered handmade tiramisu to my grandmother to celebrate. Her favorite dessert. Her spirits were higher. So was her appetite. 

Pâte Sucrée Tart Dough

After that, in addition to a string of positive professional developments, I was on top of the world. Freed from the rigor of my work at the cafe. Back at home spending more time with my family. My favorite show back on. My creative tank filled. So I started my mini lemon meringue tarts. I used the pâte sucrée recipe from Flour, my favorite cookbook. I use it for my tomato tart, which provides a great sweet and buttery contrast to the acidic tomatoes and lemon. It’s simple to make, too, by just combining sugar, flour, salt, and butter into a fine crumb. Then you add a single egg yolk, which magically brings it all together into a cohesive, pale yellow ball. 

I formed it into a flat disc to make rolling it out easier and wrapped it in cling wrap. While it rested in the fridge I watched the finale of Australian Survivor with my dad and caught up on work emails. The day before I cleaned all of my things out of the cafe and unpacked my car. Our kitchen has now been reunited with all my gadgets in their usual places. I rolled my dough out after thawing it for 10-20 minutes until it was nice and thin. I found a perfectly-sized cookie cutter and cut 4 tart shells out with a flourish. Then, I placed them on top of upside down ramekins. The same ones you use for creme brûlée. 

Crumbling Shells

I let them cool overnight again to firm up and hold their shape. Then, the next day I couldn’t wait to bake them. I had placed carefully-cut circles of parchment paper on top of each ramekin to keep the crust from sticking and smelled the buttery crust crisping in the oven. Finally, when the tart shells were done, I let them cool on the counter and went in with a knife to loosen them. But immediately my heart sank. The crust was glued to the ramekins on the sides where I forgot to grease them. I knew there was nothing I could do. Still I tortured myself by carefully chipping at them with a sharp knife. Collecting crumbles of failed shells.

Ironically, my mini lemon meringue tarts were looking like my original recipe in 2017 with the haphazard golden crumble. But this time I knew I wouldn’t give up. A skill, or a muscle, that I’ve developed over the past 9 years. I saved some dough, too, just in case. So I tried again with a muffin tin instead of ramekins. And I greased them. After not long they baked into perfectly golden cups and they came right off! But after they cooled I realized that the shape, and the edges, were uneven. Not to my liking. So I tried yet again. Another lesson I’ve learned, that I refuse to remember, is that good tools are essential. 

Innovating a Mini Tart Pan

I really needed miniature tart shells to form my dough into. It would have been a completely different story. But my ingenuity kicked in as I refused to give up. I found a smaller cookie cutter in the drawer and realized it resembled a tart shell. Straight edges. No bottom. So I rolled the dough out again and cut a circular-bottom. Then, I took scrap dough and built up the edges inside the cookie cutter. I wasn’t sure it would work, and I couldn’t quite fit parchment paper on the inside. But I persisted. 

I chilled the dough, of course, and then baked it. My third batch. And I decided to make my lemon curd while I waited. A simple recipe – lemon juice, lemon sugar, salt, and eggs whisked up into a yellow soup. I whisked it vigorously over high-heat and before long it was a thick custard. When I removed it from the heat, I added in pats of butter. And when it cooled I tasted a dollop on my spoon. Tart. Buttery. Perfectly sweet. I had fresh raspberries ready to go too. Next I mindlessly made a big batch of meringue. Just by whipping egg whites with sugar and raspberry juice. And I filled two piping bags to be extra-ready. 

Baking Curd + Whisking Meringue

When the tart shell was done, I took it out of the oven and carefully slid off the cookie cutter. It came right off! So I knew I had at least one successful tart shell ready for pictures. I treated it like my baby from then on. Protecting it at all costs. I filled it with lemon curd, along with some extra shells that weren’t my favorite (from the muffin tin batch) and baked them until the lemon curd was mostly set. One of the wonky ones completely melted into a puddle. And, when I went to check on my meringue, it had split. It was leaking water. 

It’s always hard to swallow mistakes after you feel you’ve grown so much. Regardless, I’m not perfect, and that’s the lesson I’m taking this week. I also don’t have to nail every step along the journey as long as I’m proud of the end result. So I persevered and ended up with a perfect mini tart. All it needed was the meringue and garnish. So I whipped up another batch of meringue. This time it was Swiss – whisking the whites with sugar over a double boiler to pasteurize and stabilize them first. I whisked them with a hand mixer for a good 10 minutes. Growing impatient and tired. So I stopped and filled another bag.

Pine Powder + Raspberries

All that was left to do was assemble the mini lemon meringue tarts. I placed a few raspberries on top and started to pipe meringue around them. But it wasn’t stiff enough. It spilled out of the bag, too, which I cut wrong. But still I wasn’t at my breaking point. There’s always a solution. So instead of piping the meringue, I dolloped a spoonful on top of the tart and placed my raspberries on top, creating artful dimples in the white cloud. It looked better. Still, it needed some green. So I threw on my boots and ran outside to the pine trees in our yard. Snipping leaves in the rain. I put them in the oven for a few minutes and then into my spice grinder to make a delightfully green powder. Earthy and herbaceous. 

I finished my mini lemon meringue tarts by dusting the green powder on top. The presentation wasn’t what I planned, or expected, but it was good enough. I was proud. And I knew it would taste amazing. So I’m happy with my 10-years-later lemon invention test. It shows how much I’ve grown and developed. But it also shows that I’m not done growing. Which excites me. I wonder what my lemon dessert will look like when I’m 40. When I hopefully have tart shells and piping tips and more patience for whipping meringue. Anyway, the important thing is the taste. The curd was set, silky, and luscious. Tart and so lemony. Subdued by the airy, sweet meringue. Pops of fruity raspberries. And pine needle powder. 

Silver Linings

Despite my “failures” – the cafe closing. Dreams changing. Meringues splitting. I’m proud of myself. I’m growing and learning every day and finding more ways to live the life I want to. Trying to reconnect with my inner child has been fun. Masterchef has reinvigorated my creativity. Everyone I love is healthy.

We gathered Saturday for dinner and had Chinese takeout. We watched great TV. And I’ve caught up on sleep. New opportunities are popping up and I know I’ll be fine. I will get to the finish line in one way or another. And I’ll be so proud of the journey. I can’t wait for spring and for long walks in the sun. More lemon desserts. And farmers market season. Stay tuned – I have so many recipe ideas and nothing but time and motivation. 

Thank you for reading! Be sure to check out my Etsy for 100’s or art prints and recipe cards. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. 

Print Pin

Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts

Miniature tart shells filled with lemon curd and topped with coconut meringue

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword lemon, lemon tart, tart

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• Zest of 2 lemons
• Juice of 2/12 lemons
• 4 whole eggs
• 3 egg yolks + 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 10 oz fresh raspberries

Instructions

• Combine 1 cup AP flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1 stick softened butter and work into a small crumb.
• Add one egg yolk and mix gently until a dough forms. Shape into a disc and wrap in cling film. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• After dough is chilled, remove from fridge and let rest for 15-20 minutes until slightly softened. Roll into a thin circle, about 16” in diameter.
• Cut into 8 equal circles tracing around your miniature tart shell pans. You may need to re-roll the dough scraps.
• Place a circle of dough in each tart shell and use scraps to fill the edges of each pan. Even with your hands and shape into even, thin walls.
• Chill tart shells, covered, for at least 30 minutes until cold. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake shells on a large baking sheet until lightly golden, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand.
• To make curd, combine zest of 2 lemons in a medium sauce pan with 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp white sugar. Massage zest into sugar until yellow.
• Add the juice of 2 1/2 lemons, 4 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Whisk into a homogeneous mixture.
• Cook curd in saucepan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove curd from heat and whisk in 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until cohesive.
• Remove tart shells from metal molds and place on a baking sheet. Divide curd evenly into shells, filling almost to the top of each.
• Bake for 20-24 minutes until the curd is starting to set but still slightly wobbly. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Place cooled tarts in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 1 hour, or until set and cold.
• To make meringue, whisk 4 egg whites with 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and coconut extract in a heat-proof bowl (metal or glass).
• Heat over a double boiler and whisk for 3-4 minutes vigorously until temperature reaches 160°F. Remove from heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Whisk until light, white, and voluminous with stiff peaks, about 5-10 minutes (on high speed). Transfer to a piping bag.
• Remove tarts from fridge and top with an artful design of coconut meringue. Garnish with fresh raspberries and herbs of your choice (basil, mint, etc.)

Notes

• If not using curd until the next day, keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to fill shells.
• You may be able to make more or less than 8 tarts depending on the size of your tart shells. The curd filling may cook at different times, too.