Gin and Tonic Lemon Meringue

Ingredients

Filling: 

• 2 packets (200g each) Marie biscuits, crushed  
• 250g butter, melted 
• 1½ cups (375ml) milk  
• 1½ cups (330g) castor sugar 
• ½ cup (125ml) cream 
• 4 large egg yolks 
• ½ cup (125ml) cornflour 
• Juice (480ml) and grated peel of 8 lemons 
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence 
• 1 cup (250g) cold butter, cubed 

Meringue: 

• 4 large egg whites 
• ½ tsp (3ml) cream of tartar 
• 1 cup (200g) castor sugar 
• ½ tsp (3ml) vanilla essence 

Method

1. Line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake or tart tin with baking paper. 
2. Combine biscuits and melted butter. 
3. Press biscuit base into the cake or tart tin, pushing it about 8cm up against the sides. Chill until firm. 
4. Heat milk and castor sugar in a pot and stir until sugar dissolves. 
5. Combine cream, egg yolks and cornflour in a bowl. 
6. Whisk into hot milk mixture. 
7. Add lemon juice and grated peel and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking vigorously until thickened. 
8. Whisk in vanilla and butter until melted. 
9. Remove from heat and allow to cool before pouring over biscuit base. 
10. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.  
11. Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in a glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl) until mixture is warm to the touch. 
12. Transfer meringue mixture immediately to a stand mixer (or use a hand-held electric whisk) and whisk until stiff-peak stage, gradually adding 1 Tbsp (15ml) castor sugar at a time at one-minute intervals. 
13. Once sugar has dissolved completely, whisk in vanilla essence. 
14. Serve tart topped with meringue – browned 

GOOD IDEA:

Top your tart with candied citrus fruit and gin syrup. 
Heat 1 cup (250ml) tonic water with 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add 2 each thinly sliced lemons and limes and cook for 30 minutes (until fruit is clear).
Transfer to a baking tray using tongs and leave to set. Take syrup off the heat, add gin and allow to cool. 

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