Ingredients
Pastry: 125g plain flour, 35g icing sugar, 60g cold unsalted butter, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tbsp water
Lemon curd: 3 large egg yolks, 1 large egg, 150g caster sugar, 2 tbsp cornflour, large pinch of salt, zest of 2 lemons, juice of 3–4 lemons, 130g cold unsalted butter
Italian meringue: 60g egg whites, 120g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Make the pastry: sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl, rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add egg yolk and water, mixing to form a dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough, cut rounds, and press into tartlet tins. Prick bases and chill 10 minutes.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
- Prepare the lemon curd: whisk egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, cornflour, and salt in a saucepan.
- Stir in lemon zest and juice, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened.
- Remove from heat, whisk in butter until smooth. Let cool before spooning into pastry shells.
- Make the Italian meringue: beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Heat sugar with a little water to 240°F (115°C), then slowly pour into egg whites while whisking continuously.
- Add vinegar and whisk until glossy and thick.
- Pipe meringue onto filled pies in a daisy pattern. Torch lightly for a golden finish.
Notes
Chill pastry before baking and use weights to prevent shrinking.
For a citrus twist, replace lemon with lime or orange.
Use a blowtorch for best meringue finish, or place briefly under a broiler.
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days—best served fresh.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked with stovetop curd
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini pie
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
