Lemon meringue tart

- 150g unsalted butter, chilled
- 1¾ cups (260g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- ¼ cup (40g) pure icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
- 2 egg yolks
Lemon filling
- 3 eggs
- 6 egg yolks, extra
- ¾ cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
- 1¾ cups (430ml) single (pouring) cream
- ¾ cup (180ml) lemon juice
Meringue topping
- 280ml egg whites (about 8 eggs)
- 2¼ cups (495g) caster (superfine) sugar, extra
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Use a box grater to grate the butter onto a baking tray and evenly spread it out. Refrigerate for 5–10 minutes or until cold.
- Combine the flour and icing sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to mix until it resembles large breadcrumbs. Add the egg and gently mix until a soft dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean bench and bring together until a dough forms. Flatten into a disc and wrap in baking paper to enclose. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until firm and ready to use.
- Roll the sweet short pastry out between sheets of non-stick baking paper to a rough 4mm (1/6 inch) thick round. Remove the top sheet of paper and use it to line the base and sides of a 22cm (8½ inch) ovenproof frying pan, allowing the paper to overhang the pan.
- Place the remaining paper and the pastry on top, ensuring the paper overlaps. Prick the pastry with a fork and cover with an extra sheet of non-stick baking paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Top the pastry with baking weights or rice and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking weights and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- To make the lemon filling, place the eggs and extra yolks in a bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the sugar, cream and lemon juice and strain the mixture into a bowl or jug. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl or jug. Gently pour the lemon filling into the tart shell and use a kitchen blowtorch to gently remove any bubbles.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C (285°F).
- Bake the tart for 40–45 minutes or until it is just set but still wobbly. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely set.
- To make the meringue topping, place the egg whites, extra sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the bowl shouldn’t touch the water). Stir gently with a spatula for 10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the sugar is dissolved and the temperature reaches 80°C (176°F) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 8–10 minutes or until thick and glossy.
- To serve, dollop the meringue over the tart and use a kitchen blowtorch to lightly toast until golden brown. Serves 10–12