Grapefruit Tarts

You always hear of lemon meringue tarts, but why not use other citrus fruits? Using grapefruits instead of lemons gives a new twist on a classic dessert. This is a large recipe, you may want to half it.







PÂTE BRISÈE
- 400 g pastry flour
- 10 g salt
- 10 g sugar
- 200 g butter, chilled
- 130 g eggs
- 4 teaspoon water
- 4 drops vanilla
- 2 teaspoon grapefruit zest

GRAPEFRUIT CURD
-680 g sugar
- 8 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- zest of 4 grapefruit
- 340 g fresh grapefruit juice
- 340 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces

ITALIAN MERINGUE
- 500 g sugar
- 4 oz water
- 250 g egg whites



DIRECTIONS
1. Sift flour, salt, and sugar together in bowl. Cut butter in until pea-sized. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and then pour into well of flour, mix only to combine. Throw in freezer.

2. Meanwhile make the grapefruit curd. Beat the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together until well combined. Add the zest, juice and butter. Cook on a double boiler stirring constantly until the curd thickens, about 20 minutes. Pour through a chinois into a bowl over an ice bath. Place plastic wrap directly onto curd to prevent crusting.

3. While curd is cooling, preheat oven to 350F and take out the tart dough. Spray individual tart pans with pan spray. Roll out dough to desired thickness, then cut out and insert into tart pans; make sure not to stretch it. Trim top of and pop in oven on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown.

4. For the meringue, heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a slow boil, (bubbles should be big bubbles that pop slowly as if someone was blowing bubble gum). While sugar is cooking beat the eggs to break up the proteins. When sugar is done, slowly pour down side of mixer bowl while it is on it's lowest speed. Once all of the sugar syrup is in the mixer, turn up to high and let whip until cool, thick peaks that are still silky shiny.

5. For assembly, take cooled tarts and pop out of containers. Spread grapefruit almost all the way up the crust. Take a piping bag with a small round tip and fill with meringue. Apply to tart until desired look, then torch.