Mini Berry & Honey Meringue Tarts

Ingredients

For the berry curd:

• 1½ cup (250g) fresh berries
• 2 large eggs + 4 yolks
• ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp (60g) sugar
• 1 Tbsp (75g) salted butter

For the honey meringue:

• ⅓ cup (75g) honey
• ⅓ cup (75g) sugar
• 2 egg whites

For assembly:

• Premade tart shell(s) (pate sablee, graham cracker, pie dough, etc.)
• Berry jam of choice

Instructions

To prepare the berry curd:

1. Puree fresh berries with an immersion blender or regular blender until completely smooth. Strain, if desired.
2. Combine berry puree, whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly over medium to medium low heat. The curd should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Bring the curd to 175°F, or until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. You should be able to draw a clean line, with no seepage on the back of the curd-coated spoon.
3. Immersion blend or pass the curd through a fine mesh strainer. Transfer to a heat-proof container.
4. Add butter to the hot curd. Stir until butter is completely incorporated. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight before using.

To prepare the honey meringue:

1. Place honey, sugar, and egg whites in a heat-proof bowl. Whisk gently to combine.
2. Bring small saucepan, one that the bowl will fit over, of water to a gentle simmer. Do not bring to a boil.
3. Place bowl over the double boiler. Stir gently but constantly. Bring mixture to about 160°F. The mixture should feel perfectly smooth, and very warm.
4. Whip cooked whites and sugar until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the tarts:

1. Spread a thin layer of jam along the bottom of the tart(s).
2. Put chilled curd into a piping bag, or a plastic bag with a corner cut out. Fill each tart shell the way to the top of the crust. Smooth with a spatula, if desired. Chill.
3. Mound the meringue onto the tart with a spoon, or using a piping bag. Using a camping torch or mini torch, toast the meringue to a very light brown and leaving some white and pale patches.
4. Slice fresh berries, and decorate. For extra glossy berries, thin any remaining jam with a bit of hot water. Toss berries in thinned jam before placing on tart.
5. Cool and enjoy!

Recipe by Natalie Dutton of Marche Provisions

Natalie Dutton is the pastry sous chef at Marche Provisions. “I am a local pastry chef who has been baking professionally for about 10 years now. I started as a 4am baker at Noisette Pastry Kitchen. Bouncing from station to station, I was taught everything from croissants, to bread, to case pastries. From there I picked up a few jobs around town until I landed at Marche Provisions. I am currently the pastry sous chef, and loving every minute of it. I get to do a little bit of everything during my day to day. I was even fortunate enough to take part of filming an episode of the PBS show, Moveable Feast as a featured chef. I love making teeny-tiny pastries. There’s just something so adorable and satisfying about a 2 bite treat.”

The original article can be read at Lane County Farmers Market