Tarte au citron with jasmine and vanilla meringue

Hi!

I always get stuck on this part. What to say after “hi”. Not that I don’t have anything to say, that’s rarely a problem (ignore the snorts from anyone who has ever met me) - it’s just that I suck at formality. And every time I have to say anything after “hi” I get this funny idea that it has to be very serious or funny or at least brilliantly intelligent… which is a little silly I know, because its my tarty-party and I could just skip ahead to the recipe and send you on your merry way.

But this tart - the lemon tart - is one of my favourite things to eat. If I had to choose a dessert for my last meal, it would probably be a taste au citron. It has everything I love in one. Buttery and crumbly, silky and zingy and topped with a billowing fluffy meringue. Now however much I do love the classic no frills, no bells, lemon tart, I wanted to make one inspired by one of my favourite vacation fragrances, Lemon Island from Atelier Cologne. The notes in the perfume are salty lemon, lemongrass, vanilla and jasmine which translates easily into a pastry (I often look to perfumes for inspiration for my desserts) and I will say it tastes as least as great as it smells.

Tarte au citron with jasmine and vanilla meringue

Makes 6 x individual tarts or 1 x 23cm tart

Shortcrust

175g butter
100g sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
300g flour
25g almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Egg wash

Lemon custard

4 eggs (200g)
150g sugar
125ml heavy cream
Zest of 4 lemons
Juice of 4 lemons (125ml)
White part of 2 lemongrass stems, roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt, to taste

Jasmine vanilla meringue

200 sugar
4 egg whites
100ml water
1 tsp. jasmine tea
1/2 vanilla bean

Sweet shortcrust

Combine butter and sugar at low speed. Scrape down the sides, add the egg and almond flour and mix until combined. Add flour and mix until just coming together. Gather into two balls, press flat and wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least a few hours. 

Roll out to 2-3mm thickness and line six tart rings (I used these, not an affiliate link) or a 23cm tart ring with the dough, trim and freeze for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 170C fan. Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with a thin layer of egg wash to seal the pastry, return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown. 

Lemon custard

Preheat oven to 120C fan.

Rub the sugar with lemon zest and lemongrass until fragrant and “wet”, whisk in the eggs and leave for 30 minutes, until you have an eggy syrup. Add lemon juice, salt and cream. Stir together without incorporation too much air and pass through a fine meshed sieve into a jug, remove any bubbles or foam on top before pouring the custard into the cooled tart shells.

Bake until juuuust set but there is still a wobble in the centre of your tarts, about 20 minutes for individual tarts and 30-40 for a large. But check every 5 minutes after 15 minutes, so you make sure it isn’t overbooked!

Cool completely.

Slowly whisk egg whites until soft peaks.

Combine sugar, water, jasmine tea and vanilla pod in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until it reaches 118C on an instant read thermometer.

With the mixer running, slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup through a sieve into the egg whites. Increase speed to high and whip until cooled to room temperature. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a saint Honoré nozzle (or your preferred nozzle) and pipe the meringue onto the cooled lemon custard. Toast with a creme brûlée torch or carefully place under the broiler in the oven for 20-30 seconds until just golden brown.