Passionfruit curd tart with meringue topping

I made passionfruit curd for passionfruit macarons and I also used it on all sorts of other things, including over French toast.  But it is the king at the end of a meal in a soft buttery tart shell topped with luscious browned meringue. 

If you use store-bought shortcrust pastry to make these tarts, it will reduce the complexity of this dish, not to mention the preparation time. If you have the time and inclination, it’s really worth making your own pastry, because it tastes so much nicer.

• Time: >2 hours
• Difficulty: moderate (multiple steps)
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Makes: 6 mini tarts

Shortcrust pastry

This shortcrust pastry recipe is from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Dinners book. This recipe makes a very short crust and the end product is a delicate, light and buttery crust.

This recipe makes double what you need (it makes enough for a 28 cm diameter tart). The remainder of the uncooked pastry can be frozen for another day.

Ingredients:

• 125 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 100 g icing sugar
• 255 g pastry flour (plain flour is fine)
• pinch of salt
• zest of ½ lemon
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons (Tb) iced water or milk
• 100 g white chocolate, melted (optional – see note)

Method:

• Using a food processor, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add flour and salt, egg yolks and lemon zest and continue to blend.
• When the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add water (or milk), one tablespoon at a time.
• Remove from food processor and form it into a ball on cling film or baking paper. It will be very soft. Try not to add more flour or it will become hard and flaky.
• Split into two halves and gently roll into logs. Wrap both logs in cling film, freeze one for another time (allow to thaw in fridge for several hours before using) and refrigerate the other for at least an hour (or until needed).
• Roll out to fit into six 9 cm diameter fluted loose-bottomed tart tins. Lightly prick pastry base with a fork and refrigerate again for 60 minutes at least.

When ready to bake:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
• Remove tart cases from fridge and cover with baking paper and weights (I use dry rice) to ‘blind bake’.
• Bake for ten minutes, then remove baking paper from tart cases and bake for a further five to ten minutes until the crust is crisp and starting to turn golden.
• Remove from oven to cool before removing from tart tins.
• When the pastry cases are cooled, thinly spread about 1 tablespoon of melted white chocolate on the base and up the sides of each case. Allow chocolate to set and harden.

Passionfruit curd

Ingredients:

• 10 passionfruit (ripe)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks (keep the whites for the meringue topping)
• 150 g caster sugar
• 100 g unsalted butter

Method:

• Remove pulp from passionfruit and blitz very briefly to loosen the seeds, then strain to separate the pulp and seeds from the juice (keep juice and the pulp/seeds).
• Combine the whole eggs and egg yolks with sugar and whisk until pale (don’t let the egg sit on the sugar too long or it will harden).
• Melt butter in a medium pan on low heat, then stir in the egg mixture and passionfruit juice.
• Turn up the heat to medium and continue stirring until it’s cooked and thickened. It’s important to heat the mixture slowly and constantly stir to prevent the eggs scrambling. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can clear a trail through the mixture on the back of the spoon if you run your finger through it.
• Sieve into a clean bowl, then stir through the pulp and seeds.
• Allow to cool until ready to use.
• Spoon curd into tart cases to about 1.5 cm depth.

Meringue topping

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• 100 g caster sugar

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C, if using (or use a blow torch to brown meringue).
• Using a balloon whisk or electric whisker, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Slowly add the sugar and continue whisking for a minute or two until thick and glossy.
• Spoon meringue over the curd in the tart shell and make pretty.
• Brown meringue with a kitchen blow torch, or bake in oven at 180°C for 5 minutes to brown.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Serve individual tarts with cream or ice cream.

Notes:

• I like to ‘line’ the inside of the pastry cases with melted white chocolate before adding the curd. I find this cuts the tartness of the curd and also protects the pastry from becoming too soft when refrigerated (as I like to make these a day ahead). Only use a thin layer of chocolate, or else the pastry will be too hard to break through with a spoon when eating. If these are being served immediately, or if you don’t mind softer pastry, you can omit the chocolate coating.
• You could also omit the pulp and seeds from the curd if you want a smoother curd.