Our refined sugar free honey meringue lemon tarts are sweet, sharp and perfect for a teatime treat.
If you’re avoiding refined sugars but crave a sweet meringue, our honey meringue lemon tarts are ideal. Honey is a natural source of sweetness and gives our meringue a rich, indulgent flavour. We’ve also used honey in our lemon curd and while it’s delicious in these tarts, it can also be used in cakes, trifle or even drizzled over ice cream or scones. Making your own shortcrust pastry is a nice touch, but we’ve used a shop-bought one for convenience. For an even easier treat, consider buying readymade sweet tartlet cases! Don’t be afraid to add the herby lemon thyme garnish, it elevates the whole dish.
Ingredients
- 500g shortcrust pastry
- for the curd:
- 60g soft butter
- 100g organic honey
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- zest of 2 lemons
- 150ml lemon juice, around 2 large lemons
- for the honey meringue:
- 2 large egg whites
- 170g organic honey
- 1/4tsp cream of tartar
- Lemon thyme, to garnish
- You will need:
- 6x 10cm fluted tart tins, lightly oiled
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a floured surface to 3mm in thickness. Cut rounds and carefully line the tart tins, leaving an overhang to allow for shrinkage. Prick the bases and line with foil and fill with baking beans and blind bake for 15-18 mins. Remove the foil and beans and bake for a further 5-7 mins until lightly golden.
To make the curd, whisk the butter and honey together until pale, gradually add the eggs and yolks, followed by the zest and juice. Cook over a pan of simmering water, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, once fully cooled, fill each tart shell with the curd.
To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer until foamy. In a small pan, heat the honey to 118C, remove from the heat and allow the bubbles to settle for a min. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting and slowly pour the honey down the side of the bowl, turn up the mixer and whisk until the sides of the bowl are cool to the touch.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a start nozzle and pipe on top of the lemon curd. Gently caramelise the meringue using a blowtorch, or place under a hot grill for a few mins. Sprinkle with lemon thyme to garnish.
Top Tip for making Honey meringue lemon tarts
If you like the idea of lemon thyme, add a sprig to the curd for an extra hit
