Featuring a crisp crust, lemon curd filling and Swiss meringue topping, these tantalizing tartlets are the perfect petite treats for a celebration.

Preparation

For the tart shells, use an electric mixer to cream butter, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Add in the flour and mix on low until mixture just comes together into a soft and crumbly dough. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap, press together into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove dough from refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling. Roll dough to about ⅛ inch thick, then use a knife to cut out a rough circle about 1 inch bigger than the tart pans. Repeat for remaining tart shells, rerolling any scraps as needed.

Place a circle of dough into each tart pan and press into the bottom and side ridges. Use your rolling pin to roll over the top of the pan, removing any excess dough. Gently place foil in each tart shell then fill with pie weights or uncooked beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake 10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let tart shells cool 5–10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.

For the lemon filling, stir together the eggs, yolks, sugar and lemon juice in a small pot. Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a custard consistency, about 15 minutes. Stir in the butter one cube at a time, until completely incorporated. Transfer filling into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. 

Once the lemon filling has come to room temperature, spoon into each tart shell. Chill filled tarts in the fridge at least 4 hours, or until set.

For the meringue, bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in a pot. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water to create a double boiler. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. 

Heat the egg and sugar mixture while stirring constantly until all the sugar has dissolved and it becomes opaque, about 4 minutes. Once smooth and opaque, remove the bowl from the pot and add the vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5–7 minutes. 

Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with desired piping tip. Pipe the meringue on top of each tartlet, then use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue before serving.