Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts

Ingredients:

Mini tart

• 1 cup premium flour
• 0.5 cups blanched almonds
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 110g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing the pans

Lemon filling

• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
• 0.5 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 orange)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 large egg + 3 large yolks
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons limoncello or other lemon liqueur

Meringue

• Protein of 3 large eggs
• 0.5 tsp cream of tartar
• 7 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation:

1. Cakes:
   
   Combine the flour, almonds, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to finely chop the nuts. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse grains. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until the dough is cold but still pliable, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Lightly grease four 10cm tart pans (with removable bottoms). Divide the prepared dough into four pieces, then spoon them into the pans and press them into the bottom and up the sides of each prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes, then trim off any excess dough with a knife.
3. Place the cake pans on a baking sheet, line each with foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the cakes are golden brown, another 5-10 minutes. Let cool, then carefully release the cakes, leaving them in the pans on the baking sheet.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.:
   
   In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup water until smooth. Stir in the whole egg and egg yolks. Heat over medium heat, whisking until the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and limoncello and continue stirring over medium heat until the custard thickens like pudding, another 4-6 minutes. Spoon the lemon curd into the prepared cake layers.
5. Prepare the meringue:
   
   In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, another 4-5 minutes.
6. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe it onto the lemon curd. Bake at 190°C (375°F) until the meringue is set and golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely and remove the tarts from the pans.