My version of the typical French Tarte Meringuée au Citron, with a sort-a healthy crust and added mascarpone. Basically what would happen, if a French, an Italian, and a hipster decide to go on a baking adventure together. Please note that the hipster is outnumbered, so clearly we are still talking lots of sugar and butter, which is indispensable to make this tart amazing!
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 100 g whole wheat flour I use rye flour
- 100 g white flour
- 50 g almond flour
- 125 g grated butter When it's hard, right out of the fridge or even freezer, grate it using the larger side of the grater
- 80 g sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- pinch of salt
Filling
- 150 ml lemon juice from 3-4 medium lemons, depending on how lemon-y you would like the filling.
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 120 g sugar
- 4 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp Maizena
- 75 g butter
- 250 g mascarpone
Topping
- 5 egg whites
- 75 g powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C
To make the shortbread
- Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar until creamy. Now add the rest of the ingredients and quickly knead it to a smooth dough. Ideally let it cool for 30 minutes in the fridge (though I have skipped this step before and it was fine)
- Place the mixture into a tart tin and bake it for 10-15 minutes, until the sides are golden. Then take it out and let it cool completely.
To make the filling
- Heat lemon juice and zest in a small pot to boil. Then reduce the heat to medium.
- Meanwhile, mix egg yolks, sugar, and maizena
- Add two tablespoons of the hot lemon juice to the egg yolk mixture and whisk consistently until it is well incorporated
- Now add this back to the pot with lemon juice, while keeping it on low-medium and keep whisking. This is the most "technical" part of the recipe: you need to have faith in yourself and just keep and keep whisking until the mixture thickens, which can take 5 minutes. It will turn from boring liquid to beauuutiful and creamy.
- Once it has reached the beautiful creaminess, take it off the stove and let it cool for a bit, around 5 minutes. Then add the butter and whisk whisk whisk until incorporated and even more beautiful. If you want the true French version of this recipe, you stop here. If you want my version of the recipe, let it cool for another 5 minutes, before adding the mascarpone and whisk whisk whisk until you have the queen of creamy fillings, like an elegant and slightly rebellious marriage of a French queen and her handsome Italian knight. Just imagine a French version of Downton Abbey. 🙂
- Add the mixture to the cooled shortbread and put it into the fridge for a few hours to cool.
To make the topping
- Whisk the egg whites and powdered sugar until stiff, around 3-5 minutes, then spread it on the cake with whatever design you wish. You can use a kitchen torch to burn the ends a bit, if you would like to make it properly French.
- Last, but not least, watch a loved one devour half the tart in one go and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. 🙂
