These dainty lemon elderflower meringue tarts bring together bright citrus and delicate floral notes in a light, elegant dessert worthy of Princess Buttercup and the enduring sweetness of true love.
The Princess Bride: A Feast for True Love
Journey to the country of Florin for a feast filled with adventure, intrigue, and most of all – true love. Buttercup and Westley’s love was just the beginning of their story – a story filled with marauding pirates, villainous princes, and the greatest sword fight in history. From Inigo Montoya’s hard-won revenge and Vizzini’s loss at the battle of wits, to Miracle Max’s delicious cure, Buttercup and Westley face many challenges along the way. Indulge in an epic feast that begins on a rustic farm, travels across seas and swamps, introduces us to a host of unforgettable characters, and ends with the greatest kiss of all time.
Buttercup’s True Love
Miracle Max’s cure works just in time for Westley to join Inigo and Fezzik in storming the castle. After a quick, sham wedding to Prince Humperdinck and believing Westley to be dead, Buttercup retreats to her room in despair where she intends to take her own life. Now inside the castle, Inigo finally gets his revenge and Westley is reunited with Buttercup just in the nick of time. He musters what little strength he has to finally subdue and humiliate the villainous Prince Humperdinck. Together with Inigo and Fezzik, Westley and Buttercup flee the castle and ride to freedom. As dawn approaches and a great wave of love washes over them, Buttercup and Westley finally share a kiss of true love.
Westley: "I told you I would come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?"
Buttercup: "Well, you were dead."
Westley: "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."
Buttercup: "I will never doubt again."
Our feast of true love ends with these delicate, floral tarts in honour of Buttercup. A sweet buttery pastry shell is filled with a tangy lemon curd. The tarts are topped with pillowy swirls of elderflower-scented meringue and lightly torched until golden brown. With their sweet, floral flavour and elegant meringue topping, these delightful tarts are the perfect embodiment of the lovely and incomparable Buttercup.
More Princess Bride Recipes
- Farmer’s Carrot and Goat Cheese Tart with Honey and Dill
- The Dread Pirate Roberts’ Fisherman’s Pie
- Honey Chorizo Baked Manchego Cheese
- Orange Pomegranate Campari Spritz “Iocane Powder Coctail”
- Spicy Smashed Potatoes with Blistered Peppers
- Grilled Lamb Sandwich with Cherry Tomato Jam
Ingredients for Lemon Elderflower Meringue Tarts
Lemons: The lemon curd filling uses both the juice and zest of two lemons. You will likely need extra lemon juice to make up the total volume amount for the lemon curd.
Elderflower liqueur: Elderflower liqueur adds a delicate floral aroma to both the lemon curd and meringue. I like to use St Germaine which is readily available in most liquor stores. To make this recipe non-alcoholic, substitute with elderflower cordial instead.
Eggs: A whole egg is used to bind the pastry while both the yolks and whites are used in the lemon curd and meringue respectively.
Unsalted butter: While I typically use salted butter for most things, I do sometimes use unsalted butter for baking. The purpose being to control the amount of salt in the recipe. I prefer to use unsalted butter in the lemon elderflower curd to keep the flavour clean and fresh.
How to Make Lemon Elderflower Meringue Tarts
Make the pastry
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and icing sugar. Beat the butter and sugar together with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix until the mixture is dry and crumbly. Add the whisked egg and mix just until the mixture begins to clump together.
Dump the dough mixture onto the counter and use your hands to press it together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Bake the pastry shells
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray 9 individual 4-inch tart pans with non-stick spray. Alternatively, use a 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom. On a lightly floured counter, roll out the tart dough to 1/6 inch thickness.
Cut the dough into circles slightly larger than the tart pans. Line the pans with the dough, pressing to fix any cracks. Cut the dough off around the top of the ring and prick the dough several times with a fork. Transfer the tart pans to a baking sheet. Gather the scraps of dough together and gently re-roll to make the remaining tart shells.
Line each tart shell with a piece of foil and add dried beans or pie weights. Bake the tarts for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights. Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes until the tart shells are lightly browned and cooked through. Let cool briefly and then remove from the tart rings to cool completely.
Make the lemon elderflower curd filling
Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and set aside. Cut the butter into small pieces and have it ready by the stove. In a small cup or bowl, combine the plain gelatin and water. Set aside to allow the gelatin to bloom.
In a small saucepan combine the sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 tbsp elderflower liqueur, and the lemon zest and whisk until completely combined. Place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Allow the mixture to bubble a few times before removing from the heat.
Add the gelatin and whisk until it has fully melted. Whisk the cold butter into the lemon mixture until it melts. Add the remaining elderflower liqueur.
Pour the mixture through the strainer into the bowl. Place a piece of cling film directly on top of the lemon mixture to prevent a skin from developing. Chill the curd for 1 to 2 hours until it is cool and beginning to set.
Spoon the lemon filling into the tart shells and chill until firmly set.
Make the elderflower meringue
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment and have ready. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Place over medium high heat and stir briefly to dissolve. Bring the syrup to a boil without stirring and cook until the syrup reaches 230° F.
When the syrup reaches 230° F, turn on the mixer and beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Continue cooking the syrup until it reaches 240° F. Turn the mixer down to medium speed and slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream. Pour the syrup along the edge of the bowl and avoid the whisk which could fling the hot syrup out of the bowl.
Once all the syrup is added to the egg whites, turn the speed back up to high. Continue to whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and have cooled to room temperature. This will take about 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low and add the elderflower liqueur. Beat just until the liqueur has been fully incorporated.
Serve the Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts
Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the meringue decoratively on top of each tart. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue. Alternatively, you can use the broiler in the oven to brown the meringue. Enjoy!
