Raspberry Curd Tartlets with Toasted Meringue
Earlier this week, a friend had a birthday. Normally, that would have involved a celebration, a trip out to toast the occasion of a milestone birthday. But these are not normal times.
So, I started making plans for a birthday dessert that could be delivered to them. I wanted it to be something special, something that seemed like it could have come from one of our finest bakeries or local restaurants. I also wanted to make use of ingredients I had on hand.
Luckily, this person loves raspberries which are something I have in abundance in our freezer. Our raspberry patch fills our freezer to nearly overflowing each year so I had pounds of raspberries to work with. I started thinking about a pie or a tart filling. Then I decided that I also had plenty of fresh eggs on hand thanks to our chickens and ducks.
And just like that, raspberry curd became the center of the dessert I was dreaming up. I could use our homegrown raspberries from the freezer and fresh eggs that were resting in my egg basket on the kitchen counter. I got busy making the curd, hoping that the rest of the recipe would come to me as I worked.
As I watched the berries become a beautiful raspberry syrup and then the syrup come together as a rich, thick curd, I thought about all of the ways I could put this curd to use while letting it be the star of the show.
A tart seemed like a good answer. Yet I didn’t want to make a standard-sized tart because it would be more difficult for me to package and deliver. I needed something smaller to fit the little boxes I had on hand. So, I thought that individual-sized tarts, or tartlets, would be perfect. They’d be easy to pack up using the materials I had on hand, easier to deliver safely, and just right for a pretty birthday treat.
There was only one challenge. I don’t have tartlet pans. I’ve never needed them. As a general rule, I try to limit the number of baking pans and specialty items that I keep here in the farmhouse kitchen. An old kitchen doesn’t have an abundance of storage space, so I try to keep multipurpose tools and pans. They just make more sense for me to have at the ready in our kitchen.
Then it occurred to me that I could try to form the tart shells in my standard-sized cupcake pan. Each cavity of the pan was about the size of tartlet I was hoping to make. Sure, specialty tartlet pans have fluted edges that make beautiful and intricate looking tart shells. But I was convinced that a plain, yet sturdier shape might work to my advantage since they would need to be delivered and I wanted to ensure that they would hold up.
Sure enough, the little tart shells came out wonderfully. They were sturdy and delicious with a light and flaky texture. I wondered why I hadn’t thought to make them this way before. I guess that necessity really is the mother of invention.
By the time I had filled the tart shells with chilled raspberry curd and topped each one with a generous dollop of fresh meringue, it was time to get out the blow torch and toast the meringue to beautiful perfection. I watched while the edges and peaks of the meringue turned light to dark brown and couldn’t wait for the pretty little tarts to bring a little celebration to a birthday that deserved one.
The delivery from a distance went off without a hitch. Beautiful tartlets helped to make a birthday feel more like a celebration and not just another day on the calendar. It’s a small victory, but I’ll take it.
Lucky for us, there were enough of these tartlets left over to enjoy them here at the farmhouse. They were as delicious and flavorful as they were beautiful. The cloud of meringue had just enough of a toasted flavor to enhance the bright flavor of the raspberry curd and the flaky, buttery tart shell. It won’t be long until I’ll find myself in the farmhouse kitchen making them again.
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Raspberry Curd Tartlets with Toasted Meringue Topping
Ingredients
- 1 batch Buttery Tart Shells Recipe can be found here
- 1 batch Raspberry Curd Recipe can be found here
- 1 batch Toasted Meringue Topping for Tarts and Pies Recipe can be found here
Instructions
Fill the Tarts:
- Both the tart shells and raspberry curd should be cool before proceeding with this step.
- Using a spoon or pastry bag, fill each shell with raspberry curd. Do not overfill. Allow enough room for the meringue layer to be added on top.
Add the Meringue:
- Follow the recipe for Toasted Meringue Topping for Tarts and Pies to make the meringue topping.
- Using a spatula, piping bag with a large tip, or a spoon, transfer the meringue mixture to the top of your pie or tart. Spread the meringue to completely cover the cake and mound it up into a pleasing shape. You can swirl the meringue in small mounds which will brown up in a beautifully decorative way.
- You can use your oven's broiler or a blow torch to toast the meringue. I used my broiler for years before graduating to the blow torch. I like using the torch because it allows me to have better control over the process. I can direct the flame exactly where I want, ensuring that every nook and cranny is touched by the flame without any part getting too much browning.
Using a Broiler to Toast the Meringue:
- Preheat the broiler with an oven rack in a position that will place your meringue a few inches from the hot broiler element. Place your meringue topped pie or tart on a broiler safe pan or tray. When the broiler is hot, transfer the pan to the oven.  Broil 3-5 minutes or until meringue is browned to your liking. Watch closely to avoid burning. Remove from the oven and serve.
Using a Blowtorch to Toast the Meringue:
- Safely light a kitchen torch or small blow torch. Adjust the flame to be small enough to allow you to easily manage the flame. Carefully use the torch to toast the top surface of the meringue. Keep the torch moving to prevent overheating one particular spot and burning the meringue. Use your best marshmallow toasting skills as the process is the same. You're applying flame to soft sugar and allowing the sugars to caramelize and brown without letting it burn.
- When the meringue is evenly toasted, turn off the source of gas to the torch and set it aside to cool before storing away safely for its next use.