Gin Lemon Meringue Tarts

by Verity Walcott

A Mirabeau twist on this classic French dessert!
Crafted with a delicate balance of zesty lemon, hints of Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin, and fluffy meringue, these tarts will be the perfect dessert for your Easter lunch table.

Ingredients:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

• 460g (All-purpose) Flour 
• 250g Cold Unsalted Butter 
• 100g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
• 2 Egg Yolks 
• 4 Tbsp Milk 

Gin Lemon Filling

• 30 ml Maison Mirabeau Dry Rosé Gin
• 100g Caster sugar 
• 60g Cornflour (Cornstarch) 
• 150ml Lemon Juice (3-5 lemons)
• 6 Egg yolks (Keep the egg whites for the Meringue) 
• 450ml Double Cream 
• 150g Egg whites (At Room Temperature) 
• 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar 
• 250g Super Fine Caster Sugar 
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 tsp White Wine Vinegar 
• 1 pinch Salt 

Method:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry 

1. Place the flour and butter in the bowl of a freestanding mixer and attach the paddle beater. Mix on medium speed until the butter is incorporated into the flour and resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add the icing sugar and mix for a few seconds before adding the egg yolks one at a time.
3. Add the milk and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
4. Turn the pastry out onto a work surface (no need for additional flour) and swiftly bring it together with your hands, without overworking the dough.
5. Lay out a long sheet of baking parchment. Flatten the pastry with the palms of your hands, then fold the remaining parchment paper over the top.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry between the parchment sheets to an approximate depth of 5mm (1/4 in).
7. Place the pastry in the fridge for at least one hour.
8. After chilling the pastry, add it to small tart tins. Trim the edges if needed.
9. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
10. Fill the tarts with parchment lining and baking beans, then blind bake the tarts for 30 minutes.
11. After 30 minutes, remove the baking beans and continue baking the tarts for 15 minutes.
12. Set the tarts aside on a baking rack to cool.

To Bake The Tarts

1. Bake the tarts in the oven for 1 hour. 
2. Do not immediately remove the tarts or open the oven door.  Switch off the oven and allow them to sit in the oven for 30 minutes. 

Gin Lemon Filling

1. Separate the eggs from the egg whites. Keep the egg whites aside for the meringue.
2. Place the sugar, egg yolks, cornflour (cornstarch), lemon juice, and gin in a heatproof bowl. Combine using a whisk until smooth.
3. In a small pan, heat the double cream until it just starts to boil.
4. Pour the hot cream into the lemon gin slowly, whisking as you pour.
5. Return the whole mixture to the pan and bring it back to the boil. Stir continuously and remove it once it starts to thicken. Set aside to cool.
6. Once the lemon gin custard has cooled, add it to a food processor and blend until smooth, then spoon it into the pre-baked pastry cases, leveling out with a palette knife.

Meringue 

1. Preheat the oven to 100°C (212°F), Gas Mark 1/4.
2. Add the caster sugar to the blender to make it superfine.
3. Pour the egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean stand mixer and attach a whisk.
4. Whisk on medium speed for a few minutes until the whites stiffen to soft peaks.
5. Add the superfine sugar and cornstarch one spoonful at a time while the whisk is running continuously.
6. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides.
7. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, reduce the speed to low and whisk for 2 – 4 minutes or until no sugar crystals can be felt between your fingers.
8. Finish by whisking in the white wine vinegar.
9. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with a piping nozzle attached.
10. Pipe the meringue on top of the tarts.

Enjoy Warm or Cool!

About Verity:

A few years ago, my Sicilian husband and I left the chaos of London and moved to the picturesque city of Bath. The slowdown in pace brought me back to fumbling around in the kitchen, determined to make use of all the forgotten kitchen equipment I had accumulated over the years. I started playing with flavours, developing recipes, and documenting the successes and failures of making food. This has led me to train in a cooking school and fulfil a full-time career in recipe development, and food styling. 

My cooking is inspired and I’m influenced by what was on my childhood family table. We were a Caribbean family growing up in the southwest of England, I have fond memories of enjoying a hot Caribbean stew followed by a very British dessert like Jam to Polly. My memories of childhood food are built around the merging of cultures & and now extend to my world travels in Africa, Italy, Brazil and Southeast Asia. I am passionate about sweet things with clotted cream, and lemons, old-school British desserts, cheeseboards and pasta with a glass of wine.