Pamelas Peachy Meringue Tart Recipes

PAMELA'S PEACHY MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Draw a 9-inch circle on a piece of wax or parchment paper with a pencil. Place the paper pencil-side down on a baking sheet. Butter and sugar the paper.
• Beat egg whites until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Gradually add the white sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Fold in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar by gently running the spatula through the center of the bowl, then around the sides of the bowl, repeating until fully incorporated.
• Transfer the egg white mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip. Pipe a 1/4-inch thick disk inside the circle on the paper. Smooth the meringue with a knife, then pipe another layer along the outside edge of the disk to create a wall.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meringue is completely dry, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meringue shell to a large plate.
• Drain the cut peaches over a strainer set over bowl to collect the peach juice. Sprinkle the peach juice with cinnamon. Transfer the peaches to another bowl.
• Beat heavy cream until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream onto the meringue shell. Spoon the peach chunks over the whipped cream, then drizzle the peach juice on top. Garnish with more whipped cream. Serve immediately.

PASSION-FRUIT MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Make curd:
• Whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
• Heat passion-fruit purée in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until heated through, then add hot purée to egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Return to saucepan. Whisk in butter, 1 cube at a time, over moderate heat and cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened and just comes to a boil, about 6 minutes. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes more. Force curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and chill, its surface covered with wax paper, at least 8 hours.
• Make pastry while curd chills:
• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk and water with a fork and stir into flour mixture (or pulse) until combined well.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, to dough, stirring (or pulsing) until just combined. (Do not overwork, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Bring dough to cool room temperature before rolling out, about 30 minutes.
• Lightly dust dough with flour and roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 12-inch round. Fit dough into tart pan (discard paper), pressing with floured fingers onto bottom and up side of pan. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch and fold inside, pressing against rim of pan, then chill shell 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Remove side of pan.
• Make meringue and assemble tart:
• Combine whites and salt in a bowl.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Put thermometer facedown into sugar syrup, resting other end against rim of saucepan, and continue to boil (but do not stir), brushing any sugar crystals down side of pan with pastry brush dipped in water.
• When syrup reaches about 235°F, beat egg whites with salt at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks.
• When syrup reaches 238 to 242°F, immediately remove syrup from heat and pour in a slow, thin stream down side of bowl into whites (avoid beaters), beating at high speed until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes in a stand mixer or 15 with a handheld.
• Transfer shell to a cake plate. Spoon curd into shell and spread evenly. Dollop meringue on top of curd, then spread to edge of crust. Draw meringue up into peaks with a rubber spatula.
• Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth over meringue peaks, holding flame 1 to 2 inches from meringue to avoid burning, until lightly browned in spots.
• *Available at Latino markets and some supermarkets.

PAMELA'S PEACHY MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Draw a 9-inch circle on a piece of wax or parchment paper with a pencil. Place the paper pencil-side down on a baking sheet. Butter and sugar the paper.
• Beat egg whites until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Gradually add the white sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Fold in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar by gently running the spatula through the center of the bowl, then around the sides of the bowl, repeating until fully incorporated.
• Transfer the egg white mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip. Pipe a 1/4-inch thick disk inside the circle on the paper. Smooth the meringue with a knife, then pipe another layer along the outside edge of the disk to create a wall.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meringue is completely dry, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meringue shell to a large plate.
• Drain the cut peaches over a strainer set over bowl to collect the peach juice. Sprinkle the peach juice with cinnamon. Transfer the peaches to another bowl.
• Beat heavy cream until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream onto the meringue shell. Spoon the peach chunks over the whipped cream, then drizzle the peach juice on top. Garnish with more whipped cream. Serve immediately.

PAMELA'S PEACHY MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Draw a 9-inch circle on a piece of wax or parchment paper with a pencil. Place the paper pencil-side down on a baking sheet. Butter and sugar the paper.
• Beat egg whites until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Gradually add the white sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Fold in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar by gently running the spatula through the center of the bowl, then around the sides of the bowl, repeating until fully incorporated.
• Transfer the egg white mixture to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip. Pipe a 1/4-inch thick disk inside the circle on the paper. Smooth the meringue with a knife, then pipe another layer along the outside edge of the disk to create a wall.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the meringue is completely dry, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meringue shell to a large plate.
• Drain the cut peaches over a strainer set over bowl to collect the peach juice. Sprinkle the peach juice with cinnamon. Transfer the peaches to another bowl.
• Beat heavy cream until foamy in a large glass or metal mixing bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the whipped cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Spread a thick layer of whipped cream onto the meringue shell. Spoon the peach chunks over the whipped cream, then drizzle the peach juice on top. Garnish with more whipped cream. Serve immediately.

PINEAPPLE MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine flour, butter, and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together until a soft dough forms. Press dough over the bottom and up the sides of a 9x12-inch baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are light golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
• While crust is baking, bring sugar and crushed pineapple to a boil in a small saucepan. Mix cornstarch with water and stir into the pineapple filling. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• While filling is cooling, beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Add slightly cooled pineapple mixture; whip on low speed until just combined. Give filling 1 more stir to ensure it is evenly mixed.
• Pour filling into the baked crust. Return to the oven and bake until the topping is slightly golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.

GIANT PEACH, NECTARINE & APRICOT MERINGUE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the pastry on a large baking sheet and mark a border 2cm from the edge with a knife. Bake for 10-12 mins until puffed up, golden and crisp underneath. Mix the crème fraîche, whole egg, ground almonds, vanilla extract and 40g of the sugar together.
• Push the centre of the pastry down and spread this with the almond and crème fraîche mixture, then top with the fruit. Warm the jam in the microwave, then sieve and brush all over the fruit. Bake in the oven for 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff in a big mixing bowl. Add the remaining 100g sugar, the almond extract, if using, and cornflour, and whisk again to a thick, smooth glossy meringue. After 10 mins, remove the tart from the oven and turn down to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Dollop the meringue in spoonfuls over the tart, then scatter over the almonds. Bake for another 10-12 mins until the meringue feels crisp to touch. Eat at room temperature with more crème fraîche.