RSSLemon Tarts
November 7th, 2009 by Kimberley
This sophisticated lemon tart is similar to a lemon pie, or better yet, a lemon meringue pie. So, what makes a tart a tart and a pie a pie? The main difference between tarts and pies is that tarts have straight sides versus sloped sides and they are usually only about an inch or so high. 
Just looking at the ingredients for the lemon curd makes my mouth water. This lemon tart is not too sweet and not too tart. There is just enough lemon in it to make you pucker!
This tart is topped with an Italian meringue, which means the egg whites are whipped with boiled sugar syrup. This creates a very stable meringue because the hot sugar syrup actually cooks the whites as they whip, resulting in a meringue that will hold its shape for long periods of time without deflating.
The dense texture and glossy finish of Italian meringue makes it a great choice for decorating.
Classic lemon tarts are a delicious way to finish off a fancy dinner party, as they are not too sweet…and I can’t believe I am saying this, but desserts don’t always have to made with chocolate to be fantastic. Did I really say that?
Here is the step-by-step Lemon Tart Recipe.
Do you deliver? One of my favorite tarts.
I would like to make this – it looks delicious. I am especially intrigued with the meringue. Will it be too difficult to make it with a hand mixer? Also, is it possible to check the temperature of the syrup with a digital thermometer or is it necessary to have a candy thermometer? Your photos are always so fantastic.
beautiful!
Hi Liz,
A hand mixer will be ok, but you might need to have an extra hand in the kitchen. It can be difficult to hold the mixer, while slowly pouring in the hot sugar syrup. You might not get as good of volume with a hand mixer, but it still should be fine. It’s definitely ok to use a digital thermometer to test the temperature of the syrup. Happy baking! Hope you like them!
Yummy! That was always my late father’s favourite dessert. So this looks so good that I must try it. (My mother made it for him, but he would always say, “Dear, this is wonderful – but not quite as good as my mother used to make it” (and we six kids would bawl him out for saying that, as it was darn good).
Since I also don’t have a stand mixer is it possible to use swiss meringue instead ?
Yes, a Swiss meringue can be substituted. Just keep in mind that a Swiss meringue isn’t as strong as an Italian meringue, so it won’t hold as long.