This Lemon Meringue Tart Uses a Secret Ingredient From Your Herb Garden

The sweltering summer heat can drain anyone’s energy, but a refreshing dessert can turn things around. This lemon basil meringue tart from the Institute of Culinary Education does just that by combining sweet, citrusy notes with herbaceous savoriness. 

1. What Is Meringue?
2. Pâte Sucrée: Crafting the Sweet Foundation 
3. Lemon Curd: Dialing Up the Zest
4. Swiss Meringue: Making Clouds of Sugar
5. Basil Gelée: Bright Basil in Bloom
6. The Grand Finale: Layer, Torch, and Devour
7. Lemon Basil Meringue Tart Recipe, Step-by-Step
8. How to Store the Lemon Basil Meringue Tart

What Is Meringue?

Meringue is a dessert that usually consists of two main ingredients: whisked egg whites and sugar. The sugar makes the mixture stiff so that you can dollop it on top of other desserts (like a lemon tart) or serve it on its own. If you’re curious about how to make a vegan meringue, you may want to consider this version that uses aquafaba instead of eggs. 

This recipe has four parts: pâte sucrée (a classic French crust that translates to “sweet dough”), lemon curd, Swiss meringue, and basil gelée. The first step is baking the tart’s buttery base.

Pâte Sucrée: Crafting the Sweet Foundation 

Chelsea Burgess, chef-instructor of pastry and baking arts at the ICE, recommends using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to cream the butter, salt, and confectioners’ sugar. If you don’t have the appliance, she suggests using an electric hand mixer so that you can maximize the amount of air incorporated into the butter. Airy butter is the key to a “cookie-crumb-like texture.”

Slowly mix the egg into the creamed butter, then add the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, and all-purpose flour. Gradually add the dry ingredients on low speed until the dough just comes together. Finish mixing the dough by hand and shape it into a disk. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

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Now it’s time for blind baking, or pre-baking the pie crust before filling it. At this point, you can roll out the chilled dough into a 12-inch round that’s about a quarter-inch thick. Line a 10-inch tart pan with the dough, trim the edges, and prick holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork. 

You’re just about ready to put the crust in the oven. Crumple and flatten a sheet of parchment paper that is 1 to 2 inches bigger than your tart pan. Place it over the dough and fill it with baking beans. Bake the crust at 350°F for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and continue baking until the crust is fully set at the bottom. After allowing the pâte sucrée to cool completely, you can move on to the lemon curd filling.

Lemon Curd: Dialing Up the Zest

First, get your gelatin blooming by putting the sheets in ice water for 3 to 5 minutes. Next, grab a saucepan and combine the lemon juice, butter, lemon zest, basil, and sugar, then bring the mixture to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. Now, slowly temper the hot liquid into the egg mixture, continuously whisking. Transfer the whole mixture onto the heat and bring it to a boil, cooking until it thickens. Remove it from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir until it melts. Finally, strain everything through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl set over an ice bath and let it cool down.

Swiss Meringue: Making Clouds of Sugar

We’re now at the halfway mark of this lemon basil meringue tart. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler until the mixture hits 150°F on a thermometer. Then, transfer it to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or use an electric hand mixer) and whip it up until you see medium peaks. Put the mix in a piping bag and set it aside until you’re ready to use it.

Basil Gelée: Bright Basil in Bloom

The next step requires blanching your basil. Chef Burgess tells Mental Floss that blanching is the process of briefly cooking produce in boiling water to set the chlorophyll and preserve the ingredient’s vibrant color. The vegetable or fruit is then immediately plunged into ice-cold water to halt the cooking process. 

In this recipe, you’ll want to boil the basil for a minute or two before dunking it in ice water. Then pat the herb dry with paper towels and blend it with ice-cold water and lemon juice until it's perfectly smooth. Strain it and set that liquid aside. Now, bloom the gelatin sheets in ice water.

You can take this time to combine sugar and water in a saucepan, then bring it all to a boil. Squeeze out the extra water from the gelatin and stir it into that hot syrup until it’s completely dissolved. Let the syrup cool down, then use a hand blender and combine it with the reserved basil purée. Set that aside for assembly.

The Grand Finale: Layer, Torch, and Devour

For the last stretch of the lemon basil meringue tart recipe, all you have to do is fill the tart shell with lemon curd, leaving about a quarter-inch from the top for the gelée, then chill until it sets. Next, carefully pour a thin layer of basil gelée over the lemon curd and chill completely. Pipe the Swiss meringue on top and torch it until it’s golden brown to complete the tart. Now, you have a zesty, sunny treat that’s summer in a tart shell.

Lemon Basil Meringue Tart Recipe, Step-by-Step

Makes: 1 (10-inch) tart 

Pâte Sucrée

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar (1)

⅓ cup almond flour

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (2)

1 large egg

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, salt, and confectioners’ sugar (1) until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar (2), and all-purpose flour. Set aside.
3. Add the egg to the creamed butter in a slow stream, mixing until combined. Add vanilla and mix to incorporate.
4. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dough starts to come together, then finish mixing by hand.
5. Form the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
6. Blind bake the tart shell: Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface, turning ¼ turn between rolls, until ¼ inch thick and approximately 12 inches round. 
7. Line a 10-inch tart shell with the dough and trim the excess at the top edge of the pan.
8. Dock the dough (using a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the dough). This will prevent the bottom of the shell from rising when baked. 
9. Get a piece of parchment paper that is 1-2 inches bigger than your tart pan, crumble it up, and then open it again. (This will make the paper softer.) Place the parchment paper inside the tart pan and fill with baking beans (or any dried beans or pie weights). 
10. Bake at 350°F for approximately 15 minutes until the edges are just beginning to brown. 
11. Remove the baking beans and continue to cook until the bottom of the crust is baked and no longer translucent. Allow to cool.

Lemon Curd

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ( 2 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter

⅔ cup granulated sugar (1)

Zest of 2 lemons

¼ cup fresh basil, torn or roughly chopped

⅔ cup granulated sugar (2)

5 large eggs

2 silver gelatin sheets

1. Bloom gelatin by placing the sheets in ice water, leave for 3-5 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, combine lemon juice, butter, lemon zest, basil, and sugar (1). Bring to a boil.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar (2) and the eggs.
4. Temper the hot liquid into the egg mixture gradually, whisking constantly.
5. Return the mixture to the heat and bring to a boil, cooking until thickened. 
6. Remove from heat, add bloomed gelatin, and stir to melt.
7. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl over an ice bath. Cool completely.

Swiss Meringue

3 large egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

1. In a heatproof bowl over a double boiler, whisk egg whites and sugar until mixture reaches 150°F.
2. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk and whip to medium peaks.
3. Place into a piping bag fitted with a tip. Reserve until ready to use.

Basil Gelée

½ cup fresh basil leaves

7 tablespoons ice-cold water (1)

1½ teaspoons lemon juice

7 tablespoons granulated sugar

7 tablespoons water (2)

2 silver gelatin sheets

1. Blanch basil in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then shock in ice water. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. Blend basil with ice-cold water (1) and lemon juice until smooth. Strain and reserve liquid.
3. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water (not listed in ingredients).
4. Combine sugar and water (2) in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
5. Squeeze excess water from gelatin and stir into the hot syrup until dissolved.
6. Cool the syrup, then combine with the reserved basil purée using a hand blender. Set aside.

Assembly

1 baked 10-inch tart shell

Lemon curd

Basil gelée

Swiss meringue

1. Fill the tart shell with lemon curd, leaving about ¼ inch from the top for the gelée layer. Chill until set.
2. Carefully pour a thin layer of basil gelée over the lemon curd. Chill until fully set.
3. Pipe Swiss meringue decoratively on top and torch until golden.

How to Store the Lemon Basil Meringue Tart

Luckily, this lemon basil meringue tart stores well. Chef Burgess says to store it in an air-tight container if you want to refrigerate it. The gelée may develop some gray discoloration after a day, but it’s nothing to be concerned about; it’s just oxidation doing its thing, and the texture and flavor won’t change. The meringue will keep in the fridge for up to five days, and it can also be frozen for up to a month. 

You can discover more exciting recipes at the Institute of Culinary Education’s Los Angeles and New York City campuses. The ICE offers diverse classes, from plant-based cooking to pastry baking. Explore their courses on their website.

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