Meyer Lemon Tart with Torched Swiss Meringue

Tart Crust

1. Pulse together flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor.
2. Cut butter into 1/2″ cubes and pulse it into the flour mixture until the mixture reaches a coarse sandy texture.
3. Add the egg, vanilla, and poppy seeds and pulse just until the dough comes together.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into three sections and smoosh each section down and away from you with the palm of your hand.
5. Gather the dough back together with a bench scraper and form it into a disc. At this point, the dough can be wrapped and chilled, or frozen to use later.
6. Grease a 9″ fluted tart pan with butter then press the dough into the pan and up the sides into one even layer.
7. Chill for 45 minutes or freeze for about 15 minutes until firm. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
8. Prick the dough all over with a fork then place a piece of parchment over the dough and fill it up fully with pie weights or beans.
9. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes with the pie weights. Then remove the pie weights and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the edges start to brown and the bottom center is cooked through.
10. Remove from the oven and continue on with filling it as instructed below or let it cool then wrap it to use later on.

Meyer Lemon Curd

1. Add egg yolks and sugar to a saucepan and whisk together until the mixture is pale and creamy.
2. Whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt then cook on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a point that it coats the back of a spoon and stays separated when you run your finger through it on the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter until it is melted.
4. Spread the lemon curd into the prebaked tart shell and bake in a preheated 375˚F (190˚C) oven until the lemon curd sets, about 5-10 minutes. The edges of the tart filling should puff up a bit. Or transfer the curd to a clean jar with a lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Remove the tart from the oven and cool completely before adding the meringue topping as instructed below.
6. The tart can also be served as is without meringue. Cool completely and chill for 2 hours or overnight to allow the filling to set before serving.

Swiss Meringue

1. Wipe down a rubber spatula and the bowl and balloon whisk of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl and hand mixer beaters) with vinegar or lemon juice to make sure they are clean of any oils.
2. Add egg whites, sugar, and salt to the bowl and whisk them together over a pan of simmering water making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Continue whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot or reaches 160˚F (71˚C).
3. Then remove from the heat and whip the mixture on high speed in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks, about 10 minutes. You should be able to turn the bowl upside without any of the meringue falling out.
4. Pipe or spread the meringue on top of the tart. I used a number 32 star piping tip and piped swirled blobs into a dome. Or use an offset spatula to spread the meringue into rustic swoops and swirls.
5. Char the meringue with a blow torch following the instructions and safety precautions of the torch’s manual. Or char the meringue under a broiler, watching it closely to avoid over burning.
6. At this point, you can serve the tart or chill it further to let the meringue set up more. This tart is best eaten the day its assembled with the meringue but any leftovers will keep refrigerated for another day.