Lemon meringue tart

Tart is one of my favourite cakes to make, and of course to eat:)

For the party we had a few weekends ago, I made this lemon meringue tart. Once the tart case is ready, this classic lemon tart is very easy to make. I made the tart myself (since that's the bit I like the most about tart making;D), but ready-to-roll sweet shortcrust pastry will do the job.

The fresh and tangy lemon filling, and crunchy outside, chewy inside meringue on the crispy golden pastry.... It was simply unbeatable... sooooo good... 

This time I made it in a 9 inch tart tin but I've decided that I'll use little tartlet tins next time so that I don't accidentally eat too much... (I must have had quarter of the big tart...ooops...)

Here is how to make this all time classic ;)

Ingredients:

Sweet pastry

Flour 250g

Sugar 125g

Butter (cold diced) 125g

Egg 1

Salt pinch

Lemon filling

Fresh lemon juice 150ml

Lemon zest 1 tsp

Sugar 100g

Double cream 60ml

Egg 3

Egg yolk 4

Meringue

Egg white 4

Sugar 200g

1. Make the sweet pastry. Mix sugar, salt and egg in a bowl.

2. Sift flour into 2 and stir until the mixture becomes sandy.

3. Add butter into 2. "Cut in" the butter by using a dough scraper.

4. When the mixture has combined, take the dough out on a floured surface and knead lightly until it becomes smooth pastry. Cover  and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 5mm thickness. Line the pastry on a buttered and floured tart tin. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 190º. Line the pastry with baking sheet and fill with uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes and remove the baking sheet and rice and put the pastry back in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

7. Prepare the filling. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar and mix well.

8. Add cream into 7 and mix well.

9. Beat eggs and egg yolks into 8 one at a time.

10. Pour the filling into the tart case. Bake for 15 minutes until the filling is set. Let it cool.

11. Make the meringue. Beat the egg white and sugar together in an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Pipe the meringue on the tart.

12. Put the tart in the oven (120ºc) to colour the meringue.