Lemon Lime Meringue Tarts

Being borderline obsessive-compulsive and having little (if any) impulse control has several ramifications, not least of all on my wallet and the storage space (or lack thereof) in our apartment. This explains my cookbook compulsion, irrational behaviour characterised by the following misguided logic:

1.When in doubt, buy.
A girl can never have too many (this, incidentally, applies equally to shoes).
2.If it's pretty, buy.
As a result, I have heaps of books which I leaf through not so much to cook from but to sigh over the sheer beauty of their pages.
3.It doesn't matter if one is already in possession of similar books, buy.
In practice, this means a growing backlog of recipes I am A. Dying to try, or B. Would like to try, or C. Am dubious about, but curiosity is sufficiently piqued to give it a go sometime.

The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather is a classic case in point. Did I really need another compendium of as-American-as-apple-pie classics, a genre my bookshelf already very adequately represents? Afterall, how many ultimate brownie recipes can there exist? I was however fatally attracted to the cover picture, that of a brazen blonde of a lemon tart, replensdent in her flamboyant bronze-highlighted crown of meringue. I finally made the tarts today - having owned the book for close to a year now, it's certainly high time. Ms. Rather's signature Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Meringue Tarts are a tongue-in-cheek reference to the more outre blowouts apparently popular in the locale of the Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe. Their blowsy appearance is the perfect prelude to the drama of their taste - a tangy citrus curd encased by a delectably crumbly pastry case enriched with pecans, the whole rounded out by cloud-soft poufs of sugary meringue. The coif I went for in the end is more ingenue than diva, more a quirky mop of pert spikes rather than a hairsprayed helmet, but I can only imagine a platter full of different dos may be rather amusing.

The recipe below is based on the original, which calls for a straightforward egg whites-and-sugar meringue. This is fine if the tarts are to be served shortly after being assembled and browned(the pastry cases and curd can be made way ahead, only the meringue needs to be whipped last minute), not so fine if you plan to make them earlier in the day. Sitting out for a couple of hours, particularly in humid climes, results in weeping and puddling where the meringue meets the curd - unsightly, not to mention distasteful. I've stabilised the meringue with the addition of a tiny bit of cornstarch, a nifty technique I had gleaned from Baking Illustrated. This little bit of tricksy buys you greater make-ahead leeway. The tarts, nonetheless, should be eaten the same day.

Lemon Lime Meringue Tarts
(Adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

For the tart cases: 1.5 cups pecans, toasted for about 7 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit till aromatic then coarsely chopped; 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing the tart pans; 1 cup confectioner's sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1.5 cups plain all-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

For the lemon-lime curd: 1.5 cups caster sugar; finely grated zest of 2 lemons; 10 extra large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue); 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed

For the meringue: 1 Tbsp cornstarch; 1/3 cup water; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 1/2 cup caster sugar; 4 extra large egg whites; 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Butter eight 3-inch tart pans or rings. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar in bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment till fluffy on medium high speed, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, blend. Add flour and salt, mixing in on lowest speed until just incorporated. Stir in chopped pecans. Wrap dough and chill at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide dough into eight portions. Roll each out to fit prepared pans snugly, dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Blind bake for 20 minutes, removing the parchment and rice, beans or pastry weights for the last 5 minutes of baking. Let cool completely. (These can be made ahead and stored in airtight containers for up to 2 days.)

Blitz the sugar and lemon zest together in a processor or blender until the sugar is pale yellow and fragrant. Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a medium heat-proof bowl until smooth. Add the lemon and lime juices and whisk again. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a spatula and being sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, until it thickens (the consistency should be like that of sour cream), but do not let the mixture come to the boil. Immediately take the bowl off the pan, and push the mixture through a chinois or other fine-meshed sieve into a mixing bowl. Now add the butter, which should be very malleable but still cool, a few cubes at a time, stirring each addition until completely incorporated before adding the next. Press clingwrap against surface of the curd (this prevents a skin from forming) and chill for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.

Mix cornstarch with water in a small pan. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to ensure it's lump-free. As mixture starts to simmer and thicken, remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix cream of tartar and sugar. Beat egg whites and vanilla till frothy with whisk attachment of mixer. Beat in sugar mixture, 1 Tbsp at a time, until sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the cornstarch mixture, 1 Tbsp at a time. Continue beating till stiff and shiny. Now assemble the tarts. Spoon the chilled curd into the pastry cases, filling them 4/5ths of the way to the top. Now either pile the meringue atop freestyle, teasing into jagged peaks with your fingers or the back of a spoon, or use a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle to create a spiky crown. Bake until meringue is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and serve the same day.

Makes 8 tarts