Lemon Pie with Sablé Dough and Italian Meringue

Directions

For the Sablé Dough:

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
3. Sift together the all-purpose flour and almond flour, then fold gently into the butter mixture.
4. Shape the dough into a square between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thickness. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm.
5. Mold the dough into tartlet pans and chill again before baking.
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Line the tartlets with aluminum foil and fill with baking weights (dried beans or rice). Bake for 10 minutes, remove the weights, and continue baking for 6 more minutes until golden. Let cool.

For the Lemon Cream:

1. In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest.
2. Place the bowl over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a custard consistency.
3. Remove from heat and, once slightly cooled, incorporate the cold butter piece by piece until smooth. Optional: strain through a sieve to remove any lumps.
4. Pour the lemon cream into the baked tart shells and smooth evenly. Refrigerate while preparing the meringue.

For the Italian Meringue:

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook until it reaches 118–121°C (244–250°F) using a candy thermometer.
2. While the syrup cooks, whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
3. Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the whipped egg whites while continuing to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
4. Pipe or spread the meringue over the chilled lemon cream tartlets. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the peaks for a beautiful finish.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 50 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes + chilling
• Servings: 8 tartlets
• Difficulty: Medium

Variations & Substitutions

• Replace almond flour with hazelnut flour for a nutty twist.
• Use lime juice instead of lemon for a slightly different tang.
• Top with fresh berries for a colorful and fruity presentation.
• Swap Italian meringue for whipped cream if preferred.

Serving Suggestions

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