Mini Passionfruit Meringue Tarts
This recipe is my little take on a lemon meringue pie. You can absolutely make this recipe as a large dessert if you’re that way inclined. However, I liked the cuteness of making these individual serves.
The passionfruit curd is slightly tart and slightly sweet - a bit less ‘in your face’ than its lemon counterpart but still packs a flavour punch. The curd is made creamy with the butter added at the end.
The pastry quantity in this recipe is made for rolling the dough out thin, so take your time with this step or you may end up with fewer tarts than intended.
Above all, enjoy the process! There are a few steps and elements, but it’s worth it!
Yield: 12 x 10cm mini tarts
Time: Pastry - making 20 mins, resting total 45mins, baking 15-20mins
Passionfruit curd: 20mins
Italian meringue: 20 mins
Total: 1hr 50mins
Ingredients:
Pastry:
270g plain flour
60g caster sugar
60g icing sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
150g salted butter, cubed, pliable (see step 2)
70g egg, whisked lightly (1 and a bit eggs, save the remainder for the curd and brushing the pastry cases… see instructions)
Passionfruit curd:
120g eggs (approximately 2-3 large eggs)
130g unsalted butter (cut into cubes for easier melting)
100g caster sugar
60g passionfruit juice (strained to remove pips). I use frozen passionfruit and haven’t tested with fresh. Passionfruit puree would equally work with this recipe.
Italian Meringue:
190g Caster sugar
50mL water
100g egg whites
Method
Pastry:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, caster sugar, icing sugar, and lemon zest. Mix them together until well combined.
Add the cubed, pliable salted butter to the dry mixture. Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. This process will help distribute the butter evenly and create a flaky texture in the pastry.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the whisked eggs. Mix the dough together using a fork or a spatula until it starts to come together.
Once the dough begins to form, use your hands to gently knead it in the bowl until it forms a smooth and cohesive ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough, as this can make it tough.
Wrap the pastry dough in plastic wrap or cling film and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough allows the butter to firm up again, making it easier to roll out later.
Preheat your oven to the 160oC/320oF, fan bake.
After the chilling time, take the pastry dough out of the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to your desired thickness, usually around 3-5 mm. Rolling your dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper with a small dusting of flour will help you roll this thin without sticking to the bench. Periodically peel the baking paper off each side and dust with extra flour as needed.
Use the rolled-out pastry to line your tart or pie cases, and trim off any excess dough from the edges.
Prick the base and sides of the pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking. Place back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Baking your pastry from cold will reduce the risk of it shrinking while baking.
Line the pastry with baking parchment or foil and fill with baking beans or rice.
Bake the pastry cases in the preheated oven for 10 mins, then remove the beans/ rice. Brush with a light coat of the reserved eggs, then return to the over for a final 5-10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let rest in the tin for 5 mins before placing on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Now your sweet pastry dough is ready to be filled with your lemon curd.
Passionfruit curd:
Prepare the Passionfruit Juice:
If using frozen passionfruit, gently heat it in a saucepan to defrost.
Strain the passionfruit juice to remove the pips. Make sure you have 60g of strained juice.
Create a Double Boiler Setup:
Fill a medium-sized saucepan with a small amount of water (about 1-2 inches deep) and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
Place a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. This creates a double boiler setup.
Whisk the Eggs and Sugar:
In the heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs and caster sugar until well combined.
Add the Passionfruit Juice:
Gradually pour the strained passionfruit juice into the egg-sugar mixture while whisking continuously.
Cook the Mixture:
Place the double boiler setup over low to medium heat, ensuring the water is gently simmering.Stir the mixture constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the bowl and forming lumps.
Thicken the Curd:
Keep cooking and stirring the mixture until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. This will take about 8-10 minutes. If you have a thermometer, this should reach 84oC.
Remove from Heat:
Once the passionfruit curd has reached a smooth and thick consistency, remove the bowl from the double boiler.
Pass through a sieve onto the cubed butter.
Using a stick blender, emulsify the butter and passionfruit mixtures together.
Pour the passionfruit curd into the room temperature tart shell. Place in the fridge to set.
Italian Meringue:
Prepare your equipment: Make sure your mixing bowl and whisk/beaters are clean and free from any grease or moisture. Grease or moisture can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
Combine sugar and water: In a small saucepan, add the caster sugar and water. Place it over medium heat and stir gently until the sugar dissolves completely. Once the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
Check sugar syrup temperature: As the sugar syrup boils, you can use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature. We are aiming for the soft ball stage, which is around 116°C to 121°C (240°F to 250°F). If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the sugar syrup by dropping a small amount into a bowl of cold water. It should form a soft ball that can be easily flattened between your fingers.
Begin whisking egg whites: While the sugar syrup is boiling, start whisking the egg whites in a separate clean mixing bowl. You can use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for this. Whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they reach soft peaks.
Gradually add the hot sugar syrup: Turn your stand mixer to low. Once the sugar syrup reaches the soft ball stage or reaches the desired temperature, carefully pour it in a slow, steady stream into the whipped egg whites. Make sure to pour the syrup so it runs down the side of the mixing bowl to avoid splattering hot syrup on the whisk or beaters.
Continue whisking: After all the sugar syrup is added, increase the mixer speed to high and continue whisking the egg whites until the mixture is glossy and stiff peaks form. This will take a few minutes!
Cool down: Once you achieve stiff peaks and the meringue is glossy, you can stop whisking. Allow the Italian meringue to cool down to room temperature, then pipe onto your tarts. Place in the fridge to chill for 1 hour before serving.
I like the glossy look of white meringue so generally don’t put them back in the oven (they are safe to eat as we have essentially cooked the egg whites with the boiling sugar). But, If you’d like a browned top, immediately after piping on your meringue, place your pie on a flat baking tray and back into a 180oC oven for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Keep a close eye on the meringue during this stage as it may begin to brown quickly (all ovens are a little different). Remove, and cool to room temperature, before storing in the fridge.