Raspberry Meringue Tarts

Lusciously tart raspberry curd in a buttery flakey crust and crowned with the fluffiest Italian meringue!

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 25

Chilling Time 5

Total Time 7 25

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Mini Tarts

In a small bowl, combine the water and sour cream; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar and salt together. Scatter the shortening over the flour, then use a cheese grater to grate the butter on top. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut the mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the sour cream mixture and use a stiff rubber spatula to stir and press the dough together until it forms one big mound. If dough is still too dry and doesn’t hold together, add another tablespoon of water.
Place dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a 5-inch disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Let the chilled dough sit on the counter for 10 minutes before rolling.
Place eight 4-inch diameter mini tart pans onto a baking sheet.
On a lightly-floured work surface, roll out the chilled dough until it's about 1/8" thick. Place the rim of a bowl or a circular object with a 5-inch diameter on top of the dough, and use a knife to trace/cut around it.
Press the dough circle into the tart pan and use your rolling pin to roll over the top edges of the pan to cut the excess dough off. Re-roll the scraps for the rest of your tart shells.
Use a fork to prick holes evenly along the bottom of each tart shell. Gently form a piece of aluminum foil into the tart shells and fill with pie weights or uncooked beans.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow the tart shells to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the tart pans to cool completely.

Place the thawed raspberries in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer, then transfer to a glass measuring cup. You should have about 1/2 cup of raspberry juice.
In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the raspberry juice, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 4-8 minutes minutes.
Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming, and allow to cool completely.
Once the curd has cooled to about room temperature, divide it evenly among the tart shells. Chill the tarts in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.

Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a large mixing bowl and a beater), and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Pour the sugar and water into a small saucepan, and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until it reaches 240ºF. This usually takes about 5 to 6 minutes from the time it begins to boil. Immediately pour the hot sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream into the egg whites, with the mixer running on medium speed; try to avoid hitting the whisk.
Once all the sugar syrup has been added, add the cream of tartar and vanilla. Continue beating the meringue on high speed for 7 to 10 minutes, or until it’s cooled to room temperature and glossy peaks form.
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the meringue on top of the raspberry curd. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue just before serving.