Homemade Lemon Meringue Tart – Pareve version

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Tart shell

1. 1
   Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

   Bowl
2. 2
   Transfer to a food processor, add the cold margarine in cubes and process until coarse crumbs form.

   Food processor
3. 3
   Add the egg and cold water and quickly bring together with your hands, without kneading, just until the dough comes together.

   💡Knead as little as possible: long kneading develops gluten, and the dough comes out tough and shrinks in the oven.
4. 4
   Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

   ⚙ Wrapping and Chilling the DoughPlastic wrapRefrigerator

   💡Chilling firms the margarine and relaxes the gluten: the dough rolls out easily, doesn't stick to the counter and doesn't shrink in the oven.
5. 5
   Roll out the dough and line a 24 cm Tart pan with it, sides included. Prick the bottom with a fork.

   ⚙ Rolling Out DoughRolling pin

   💡Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn between rolls: this keeps it even in thickness and stops it sticking to the counter. If it springs back, cover for 10–15 minutes and try again.
6. 6
   Top with parchment paper and weights (or dried beans) and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (355°F) for 15 minutes.

   Parchment paperOvenTart / pie pan

   💡The weights keep the dough from puffing up and shrinking from the sides: without them the bottom bubbles and the shell comes out lopsided.
7. 7
   Remove the weights and bake another 10 minutes, until the shell is golden.

   OvenTart / pie pan

For the Cream Filling

1. 8
   Put the egg yolks and the sugar in a small pot and whisk together.

   Small saucepanWhisk
2. 9
   Add the lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until even.
3. 10
   Set over low heat and stir nonstop for about 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens and clings to the spoon.

   StoveWhisk

   💡Low heat and nonstop stirring: over high heat the yolks curdle into lumps before the curd thickens.
4. 11
   Remove from the heat and add the cold margarine in cubes, stirring.
5. 12
   Pour the cream into the cooled shell and smooth the top.
6. 13
   Chill for at least 2 hours, until the cream sets.

   Refrigerator

   💡Let the cream set completely before cutting or adding meringue: lemon cream that hasn't set runs out of the slice.
7. 14
   Whip' the egg whites' on medium speed, until it starts to foam.

   ⚙ WhippingBowlHand mixerorStand mixer

   💡Whip egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, without a drop of yolk.
8. 15
   Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, without stopping the mixer, and whip about 5 more minutes, until the foam is white, glossy and very stiff.

   Hand mixerorStand mixer

   💡The sugar goes in slowly, only after the egg whites are already foamy: sugar added all at once weighs down the foam, and the meringue never reaches full volume and gloss.
9. 16
   Spread the meringue over the filling with a spoon, in swirls, until it is completely covered.
10. 17
    Scorch the top of the meringue with a torch until golden.

    Kitchen torch