Individual Lemon Tartlets Food

EASY MINI LEMON TARTS WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine sugar, lemon juice, eggs, flour, and lemon zest for filling together in a large mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
• Combine flour, butter, sugar, and salt for crust in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times, until the dough begins to come together in a ball.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal portions, placing dough portions in each well of a nonstick 6-well mini tart pan. Press dough over the bottom of each well and up the sides.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the crust is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until mini tarts reach room temperature.

INDIVIDUAL LEMON MERINGUE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the pastry: Roll the pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 6 (6-inch) rounds. Place the pastry in 6 (4-inch) tart molds. With a knife trim the excess pastry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Line each tart shell with a piece of parchment paper and fill to the rim with pie weights.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the pie weights and parchment from the tart shells and bake for 10 minutes.
• For the filling: Whisk together the lemon juice, eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Pour the lemon mixture into a medium pot. Place over medium heat and stir with a spatula for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour the lemon mixture onto a baking sheet and cool completely.
• Spoon the cooled lemon mixture or curd into the baked tart shells.
• For the meringue: Beat the egg whites with the vanilla extract and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. The finished meringue should have stiff glossy peaks. Mound the meringue on top of the tarts.
• Make sure there is a good seal between the meringue and the edge of the crust. Bake the tarts in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the molds.
• Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter and shortening into the flour. Combine the mixture with your fingers until it resembles cornmeal. Add the ice cold water and mix with a spoon, pulling the water into the flour until a dough forms.
• With your hands, shape the dough into 2 balls and flatten them into disks. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.

LEMON MERINGUE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make the crusts: Pulse the flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough starts coming together. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, pat into a disk and wrap in the plastic. Refrigerate until cold but still malleable, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly butter four 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Divide the prepared dough into 4 pieces, then press into the bottom and up the side of each prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes, then use a paring knife to trim the excess pastry.
• Place the tart shells on a baking sheet, line each with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crusts are golden brown all over, 5 to 10 more minutes. Let cool, then carefully loosen the crusts but leave in the pans on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan until smooth. Whisk in the whole egg and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until the mixture simmers, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and limoncello and continue whisking over medium heat until thick like pudding, 4 to 6 more minutes. Spoon the curd into the prepared crusts.
• Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl 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 beat in the sugar and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, 4 to 5 more minutes. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bagfitted with a star tip and pipe onto the tarts. Bake at 375 degrees F until the meringue is set and golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely before unmolding.

MINI LEMON TARTS

Steps:

• Mix flour, butter, and salt together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, or with a pastry blender, until dough becomes crumbly. Add ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the consistency is smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup cupcake pan.
• Roll out dough on a cutting board and cut into 3-inch circles using a scalloped cookie cutter. Place dough into the prepared pan, pressing down the sides to fit.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, butter, and lemon zest in a heavy, non-aluminum saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and filling thickens slightly. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl and cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour filling into the dough cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is set, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

LEMON-MERINGUE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place six 3 1/4-inch tart rings on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and set aside.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pate sucree into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer dough to a baking sheet; chill until firm.
• Using a 4 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out six circles from dough and fit each circle into prepared tart rings, pressing crust into bottom and against sides; chill until firm. Trim edges to make even. Line chilled tart shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until bottom of crust is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove pie weights and parchment paper; pierce bottom of dough with tines of a fork. Reduce temperature to 325 and continue baking until crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more. Carefully remove tart rings and transfer tart shells to a wire rack to cool.
• Fill cooled tart shells with lemon curd. Pipe about 1/4 cup meringue onto the surface of each tartlet in a decorative pattern. Transfer tartlets to freezer until chilled.
• Using a kitchen torch, toast meringue, moving flame back and forth until evenly browned, or place tartlets under a preheated broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to brown.

TARTELETTES AU CITRON (INDIVIDUAL LEMON TARTS)

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry shells. On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out the dough to a thickness of one-eighth inch. Fit the pastry into six to eight four-inch tart tins. With your fingertips, carefully press the pastry into the pan and up the side, trying not to stretch it. Trim the overhang, leaving about a half-inch edge. Tuck this overhang inside the pan, pressing gently against the side to create a sturdy, double-sided shell. If you build the pastry a bit higher than the height of the pan, you have less problem with shrinkage. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Line the shells carefully with heavy-duty foil, pressing well into the edges so the pastry does not shrink while baking. Tuck the foil into the bottom of the tart shells. Prick the pastry through the foil with the tines of a fork. Fill with weights of rice or beans - making sure you get all the way into the edges - to prevent shrinkage.
• Place the filled tins on a baking sheet and bake just until the pastry begins to brown around the edges and seems firm enough to stand up by itself, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and continue baking until evenly light brown, about 10 to 15 more minutes. Watch the pastry carefully, for ovens vary and pastry can brown very quickly. Cool completely, for at least 15 minutes, before filling.
• Prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, sugar and cream and whisk until well blended. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition. Strain the lemon cream through a sieve to remove any portions of yolk or impurities.
• Pour the lemon cream into the prepared tartlet shells, place them on a baking sheet and bake just until the lemon cream is firm in the center, about five more minutes. (Alternatively, to form a single large tart, the dough can be rolled into a 12-inch circle to fit a 10 1/2-inch tart shell. Continue as directed for the individual tarts, but increase baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.)

LEMON CHEESECAKE MINI TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 36 (1 1/2-inch) mini muffin-pan cups.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut into 36 (2-inch) squares. Press the pastry squares into the muffin-pan cups. Brush the top edges of the pastry squares with the egg. Prick the centers of the pastries with a fork.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Using the back of a spoon, press down the centers of the hot pastries to make an indentation. Let the pastries cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the pastry cups from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks.
• Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the lemon curd. Fold in the whipped topping.
• Pipe or spoon about 1 teaspoon cheese mixture into each pastry cup. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until the set. Top each tartlet with 1 raspberry.

LITTLE LEMON MERINGUE PIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Roll out pastry and use to line 8 x 10cm fluted loose-bottomed tart cases, leaving a little pastry overhanging. Prick the cases with a fork and bake blind for 20 mins (removing the paper and beans after 15 mins) until pale golden brown. Set aside to cool. When cool, use a serrated knife to neatly level the pastry.
• Meanwhile, put the zest, juice, butter and 225g sugar into a large heavy-based pan. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then remove the pan from the heat. Beat the whole eggs and yolks together, then stir into the pan. Stir over a low heat for 5-10 mins until thickened. Sieve into a bowl, then spoon into the cases. Any leftover curd will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Whisk the egg whites with 50g sugar in a grease-free bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the vinegar, then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar. 4 Put a good dollop of meringue on top of each tart, then dip a palette knife in hot water and make little peaks on each. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until just browned on top. Allow to cool, then serve.

LEMON CURD TARTLETS

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest until blended. Add butter; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a metal spoon. Transfer to a small bowl; cool for 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled., Just before serving, spoon lemon curd into tart shells. Garnish with raspberries, mint and/or cream if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.