Lime meringue tarts

The season of Spring ushers in the start of warmer days and the sun making an appearance slightly earlier in the day and leaving us later thankfully…..This is the time when even though something sweet will be craved at times, it also needs to be zingy and fresh. My adoration of citrus is well documented and these lime curd tarts with meringue and raspberries is a perfect spring dessert. The lime curd isn't cloyingly sweet and pairs well with the meringue and the fresh raspberries is a burst of freshness encased in a buttery pastry shell. 

Lime meringue tarts – makes 6 small tarts

 Sweet pastry

 375g cake flour

 115g caster sugar

 260g butter

 1 egg

• Preheat your oven to 160 degrees

• Mix the sugar and caster sugar in a medium bowl.

• Rub in the butter. Then add the egg. Mix until your form a dough. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.

• Roll the pastry out to a thickness of 3mm. Cut out 8cm rounds and line 6 tart tins making sure you have lined. You will have leftover pastry, but it can be cling filmed and stored in the fridge for a few days or popped in the freezer for a month.

• Line the tart tins with baking paper and baking beans (rice can also work if you do not have ceramic baking beans) and bake for 18 minutes

• Take the tarts out of the oven and remove the baking beans. Place back in the oven for a few minutes.

• You want the tart shells to be lightly golden.

 Lime curd

 3 eggs yolks (reserve the egg whites for your meringue frosting)

 1 egg

 100g butter

 125ml fresh lime juice

 100g caster sugar

• In a medium bowl whisk together eggs and sugar

• Place a saucepan on medium heat with the butter and lime juice until melted

• Slowly pour the melted butter mixture into the egg mixture, whisking continuously as you do so

• Pour the mix back into the saucepan

• Over medium heat, cook the curd until it is thickened and bubbling, stirring continuously

• Pour the curd into the prepared tart tins

• Place in the fridge to set

 Meringue frosting

 3 egg whites

 150g caster sugar

• In a bowl place eggs whites and caster sugar.

• Place the bowl on a double boiler on medium heat

• Stir the mixture gently until the sugar has dissolved

• Remove off the heat, place mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisking until it is thick, glossy and at a pipe-able texture.

• Alternately you can use a hand mixer using the whisk attachment, it may just take slightly longer.

 Assembly

• Remove the tarts from the fridge

• Pipe a squiggle of meringue slightly off the centre of each tart

• Using a blow torch, toast the meringue until light and golden

• Place 3 fresh raspberries onto each tart

• Finish with lime zest