Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Tart
This gluten free lemon meringue tart is the ultimate lemon lover’s dessert. A gluten free tart dough that is filled with a strawberry jam, homemade lemon curd and Italian meringue. This gluten free lemon dessert is a must make.
You will find that using a gluten free flour is going to be a lot different than a classic shortcrust shell.
Making this tart was special to me, my nephew has celiac disease so I made sure to read about gluten free baking and did my research to master this lemon meringue tart for my family to celebrate his dad’s birthday. It is unbelievable to know how much chemistry and science is involved with making a successful gluten-free bake that resembles its gluten-containing counterpart.
Table of Contents
What is Italian meringue?
Italian meringue is made by cooking a sugar syrup to 120C/240F, followed by adding it to whipping egg whites until obtaining a stiff meringue peak. Italian meringue is very easy to work with, as it is a very stable meringue. You will find it offers that glossy and soft finish that everyone loves. I used a torch to toast up the meringue but you can also finish it off in the oven, depending on the pastry or dessert you are making.
If you are new to working with meringue I find that Italian meringue is a great starter recipe to follow. It is going to be amazing to work with and as you can see it is gorgeous on top of this lemon tart.
Ingredients Needed
- Gluten free flour, I recommend using King Arthur’s that replaces 1 to 1 to regular gluten-containing flour.
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Eggs
- Strawberries
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice and Zest
- Gelatin Sheet
Gluten Free Tart Dough
Preheat the oven and then cut butter into 1 inch squares.
Next add your dry ingredients into a mixer with a paddle attachment. Incorporate the butter, mixing till it is a small butter size.
Add in the egg, mixing once the dough comes together. Then form a disc and allow it to rest in the fridge.
Once dough is set, shape and place into the tart molds. Then bake as directed.
Strawberry Compote
For your strawberry compote you will wash and prepare your berries. Then add in the sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Heat on medium heat.
Cook until the strawberries are softened. Then remove from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture to a thicker texture.
Lemon Curd
For the lemon curd use a non-reactive saucepan and add the lemon juice, sugar, zest and salt to a boil.
In a bowl whisk your eggs and the other part of the sugar. You want it to be ribbon consistency.
Add the hot mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Then you will strain the mixture over the butter.
Then add in the gelatin, and mix and then cool, cover with plastic and let it set.
When done, pour into a piping bag.
Italian Meringue
Add the sugar and water into a saucepan and heat to 120C/240 F.
While the syrup is heating add the whisk attachment to a mixer and whip up the egg whites until foamy.
When the eggs are whipped and syrup is ready slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites, on medium speed.
Increase speed to medium-high and whip until shiny and stiff peaks form.
Assemble of Tart
Bake the tart shell and allow it to cool.
Add a layer of the strawberry compote.
Next pipe a layer of the lemon curd and spread evenly.
Now pipe on the meringue and then you can torch the meringue if you would like.
Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
FAQs
I used the piping bag that is fitted with a St. Honore tip (Ateco). You are welcome to use any other style of tip if you want. Feel free to pipe any design on top of the tart.
Yes, you are welcome to leave out the strawberry if you fully want just a lemon dessert. I loved the lemon and the strawberry together, it adds a layer of sweetness. But you are welcome to skip.
You do not have to use meringue, I have done whipped cream instead in the past and it works great. Just pipe on the whipped cream right before you serve it up. As whipped cream can break down a bit.
More Sweet Treats
Printable Recipe Card
Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Tart
Ingredients
Gluten-free tart dough (pate sucree)recipe
- 680 g gluten-free flour from @kingarthurbaking. Use the one that is intended to replace 1/1 normal wheat all-purpose flour
- 455 g butter cut in small pieces, cold, it is important to be cold from the fridge
- 225 g powdered sugar
- 7 g salt
- 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg. Lightly beaten
Strawberry compote:
- 225 g fresh strawberries
- 100 g sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Lemon juice to taste
Lemon curd:
- 115 g lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 115 g of sugar divided in 2
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 58 g butter soft
- *1 gelatin sheet bloomed in cold water
Italian meringue
- 225 g granulated sugar
- 112 g water
- 112 g egg whites room temperature
Instructions
Gluten-free tart dough
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut the butter into small uniform pieces (1 inch)
- Place flour, butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix using a paddle attachment until fully mixed (small butter size)
- Add eggs, this is the tricky part, for my standard wheat flour I added much more egg. For this recipe, add small amounts while mixing with the paddle attachment, stop adding once the dough comes together, forms a ball and it seems hydrated.
- Form a disc, cover with plastic film, and let rest in the fridge.
- Remove from the fridge, here the dough looked much more different than usual one with wheat flour, I had to work it with my hands. Once it is softer, roll with a rolling pin and place in the tart mold, score with a fork. Read my post on how to prepare the tart shell. (I will have this ready by the time the website is going live)
- Freeze the tart mold for about 15-30min.
- Place the frozen mold directly in the oven and bake at 350F for about 30min
Strawberry compote:
- Wash, pat dry and cut the strawberries into small pieces
- Add strawberries, sugar, salt and lemon juice to a saucepan, cook at low -low medium heat until very soft.
- Puree using an immersion (hand) blender.
- Taste and add more lemon juice and/or sugar to balance the flavors
- Cool completely
Lemon curd:
- In a small non-reactive saucepan heat lemon juice, half the sugar, zest and salt to a boil
- In a bowl, whisk eggs, yolks and other half of sugar to a light and ribbon consistency
- Slowly add the hot mixture into the ribboned eggs while whisking
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat until thickened, at 84F
- Strain over the butter and mix well.
- Add drained gelatin sheet, the temperature should be at 150F or less.
- Let cool, cover with plastic film and put in the fridge to set
- Remove from the fridge and gently whisk to make it pipeable and smooth
Italian meringue:
- Separate the egg whites, avoid any traces of oil/fat in the bowl, including egg yolks. If egg yolks are mixed with the separated egg whites, discard, and start again. Read my post on the science of meringue to understand why fat should be avoided. (I will have this ready by the time the website is going live)
- Prepare the sugar syrup:
- In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar and heat until it reaches 240F
- While the syrup heats, in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment whip egg whites until foamy
- Slowly add syrup to the egg whites at medium speed, once the syrup is fully added increase the speed to medium-high and continue whipping until shiny and stiff peaks are achieved and the bowl is cool to touch
Tart Assembly:
- Once the tart shell is cool place a layer of the strawberry compote
- Pipe a layer of the lemon curd on top of the strawberry layer
- Prepare the Italian meringue, place in a piping bag fitted with a St. Honore tip (Ateco). Other piping tips work as well if you would like to do your own piping designs.
- Pipe the Italian meringue cross-sectionally.
- Optional: torch the meringue using a blowtorch
- Keep in the fridge
Notes
