Meyer Lemon Tart

Our lemon tree put out a nice crop this year, which meant we had to find a way to use them. Which means we usually end up back at this dessert, a tangy-sweet Meyer lemon tart with a meringue top. We first made this several years ago after finding it in a Cooking Light magazine, and it’s been a repeat visitor since then. It’s simple to prepare, quick, and a nice light, refreshing spring dessert.

I’ve adapted this from the original recipe a bit, but the basics are the same.

Start by making the lemon curd filling: mix sugar (coconut sugar or sucanat are good alternatives to plain white sugar), a little arrowroot powder (instead of cornstarch) and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan.

Stir in 1/2 cup lemon juice (the original recipe calls for 5 lemons, but I got almost 1/2 cup out of one lemon, so either their lemons were really small, or mine were extra juicy because they were freshly picked) and three egg yolks. Bring to a boil and keep whisking the whole time. Once you reach a boil, remove from the heat and continue to whisk until it’s thickened up.

Add a scoop of coconut oil (instead of butter – I think the slight coconut flavor really complements the rest of the flavors) and some lemon zest and stir until the oil is melted.

Put the curd into a bowl, cover and let cool in the fridge. The original recipe calls for it to chill for at least 4 hours; I can’t wait that long, so a half-hour in the freezer works for me.

While the curd is cooling, get to work on the crust. In a food processor, combine macadamia nuts, coconut, vanilla wafers (gluten-free alternatives are also available), coconut sugar, and a pinch of salt. Process until crumbly. With the processor still running, drizzle in the coconut oil until well-combined.

Press this mixture into the bottom and sides of a pie dish, and bake at 400 F for about 10 minutes, or until it just starts to brown. Let cool.

To make the meringue, put the three egg whites that you saved into a medium bowl with a pinch of salt. Blend until soft peaks form.

Make a simple syrup by combining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan and boil this until a thermometer reads 238 F. Drizzle this into the egg whites while blending, beating until you get stiff peaks.

Spoon the curd into the cooled crust, spread the meringue over the curd, and pop the whole thing under a broiler for 30-60 seconds, or until the meringue is slightly browned. Then try not to eat the entire lemon tart in one sitting.