Category: Pies and Tarts, Recipes
Yields:
8 Servings
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 4 Hr 40 Mins
Cook Time:
30 Mins
Total Time:
5 Hr 10 Mins
Pomegranate Meringue Tart
Like lemon, pomegranate has a nice tart flavour which lends well to the filling of an easy meringue tart. The tart is topped with an Italian Meringue, which is much smoother in texture than the traditional French meringue and does not require cooking in the oven. A quick toast under the broiler for colour is all this meringue needs! I used my favourite easy pat in the pan crust recipe for the tart shell. Pomegranate juice tends to turn brown when cooked, so I have put optional red food colouring in the recipe, to make the colour more of a pomegranate shade.
Ingredients
Adjust Servings
-
For the Crust
- For the Pomegranate Curd
- For the Italian Meringue
- To Decorate
Instructions
-
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 F/160 C
- In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter to combine. Using fingers press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.
- Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust looks dry and begins to turn golden about 25-30 minutes. Let the tart shell cool completely before adding the filling. For the Pomegranate Curd
- Whisk together the egg yolks and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Bring the pomegranate juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until the juice has reduced to 300 ml (1 1/4 cups), about 10-15 minutes. Whisk in sugar, salt and lemon juice and return to the boil then reduce heat to medium.
- Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the juice into the egg yolks. Then slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the juice. Cook until thick, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and pomegranate molasses. Add enough red food colouring to achieve a burgundy pomegranate colour.
- Let cool for 15 minutes then pour into the cooled tart shell. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the curd and chill in the fridge until set, about 3 hours. For the Italian Meringue
- Position an oven rack in the top position and set the oven to broil.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, brushing down the sides of the pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F/115C on an instant-read or candy thermometer.
- Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes.
- With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high and whip until thick and glossy with stiff peaks.
- Spread the meringue decoratively over the top of the tart.
- Put the tart on a baking sheet, and toast the top under the broiler, rotating as needed, until the top is golden.
- To finish the tart, sprinkle pomegranate arils decoratively over top of the tart.