Happy Holidays! This Cranberry Lemon Meringue tart is the perfect, most decadent dessert to enjoy with your family and friends this holiday season. Hope everyone enjoys some time off with their loved ones!
Cranberry Lemon Meringue Tart
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130g)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (113g)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (38g)
- 1 large egg yolk, room temp
Cranberry Lemon Curd
- 12 oz whole cranberries
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (250g)
- Juice and zest 1 large lemon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold (113g)
Meringue
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (70g)
Instructions
- Start by making the shortbread crust. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt and whisk together. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the room temp butter with the sugar and whip together with a spatula until smooth, and then add the egg yolk and mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until fully hydrated and combined, it should be somewhat the consistency of playdoh.
- Press the dough into a 9" removeable-bottom tart pan, using a flat-bottomed glass (recommend lightly flouring it) glass to tamp down the bottom to get it nice and smooth. Chill the crust for 10 minutes to firm it up and then use a sharp paring knife to trim off the excess dough from the sides, making it even with the lip of the tart pan.
- Poke relief holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork, and then either line with parchment and pie weights, or alternatively you can cut out a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom, and then place tinfoil over top, pressing it down to hug the crust, keeping its shape in the oven. The parchment barrier between the foil and the crust is very necessary, or else the dough will stick to the foil in the oven (trust me on this one). Blind bake the crust for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and carefully peel off the foil and/or the parchment, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until golden brown throughout. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- While the crust is cooling, it's time to make the filling. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, cranberries, lemon juice, and lemon zest and heat on medium-high until the cranberries split. Pour the mix into a blender and blend just until smooth, and then pour through a fine mesh sieve back into the saucepan (wipe the saucepan out as necessary.) It may take some effort for the blended mix to go through the sieve, just be patient and coax it through with the back of a spoon.
- Once the strained mix is back in the saucepan, add the cold butter and mix until the butter has melted. If it's not melting, place the saucepan over low heat until it does and the mix is smooth.
- In a small bowl, add the whole eggs and egg yolks and whisk roughly just to break the yolks and combine everything. Once ready, take 1/2 cup of the cranberry mix and slowly stream into the eggs, constantly whisking, until smooth. Then take the egg mix and pour it back into the saucepan while constantly whisking over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk constantly until the mix starts to thicken and reaches 170°F on a thermometer. Remove from the heat and strain again through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl with a spout. Pour the curd into the prepared tart crust, stopping just short of the top of the crust. Shield the edges of the tart with foil, and bake at 350°F for ~10 minutes, until the curd is set. When you gently shake the tin the curd should slightly jiggle. I recommend placing all the tart crust, still in the tart pan, onto a baking sheet to make it easier to place in the oven. Once done, remove and let cool completely.
- When ready to serve, make the meringue. In the bowl of a stand mixer whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until starting to foam, then add the cream of tartar. Once foaming, add the powdered sugar and whip on high until stiff glossy peaks form. Spread the meringue out onto the tart (I like to keep it rustic and messy, but feel free to spread it evenly or even pipe it), and then toast the meringue with a kitchen torch. This can also be done very carefully under a broiler in the oven, just watch closely! Once the meringue has some nice color, slice and serve.
- Enjoy!
