Mini Lemon Tarts in a Graham Cracker Crust

These mini tarts are really simple to make and depending on how many spices you add to the crust they'll be bursting with flavor. 

The first thing is to make your lemon curd for the filling. You can find my lemon curd recipe here

This is another very simple recipe that  you can whip up and store in your fridge and use it for pies, cake or cupcake fillings.  Next let's make your crust.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

*note during the Fall and Winter months I like to add a little of allspice, nutmeg or ginger even to spice it up*

Directions

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 375 degrees  for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

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Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

These cute lemon meringue cupcakes are like a burst of sunshine in your mouth. 

Do you see those perfect peaks?

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups Unbleached Cake Flour Blend

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor (optional, but adds that signature bakery taste)

2/3 cup buttermilk

Lemon Curd

recipe can be found here

Meringue

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon Bakewell Cream or cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a 12-cup cupcake or muffin pan with paper liners; spritz the liners lightly with cooking spray.

2.  To make the cupcakes: Place the following in the bowl of your mixer: the cake flour blend, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor. Add 1/3 cup of the buttermilk.

3.  Blend the mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes. The mixture will be thick at first, but will smooth out as you mix.

4.  Add the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and mix briefly, if necessary.

5.  Fill each well of the pan 2/3 full, and bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes, until they're light golden brown on the edges. Remove them from the oven, and immediately transfer them from the pan to a rack. Cool completely.

6.  Prepare the lemon curd according to the recipe, and set it aside to cool and thicken as the cupcakes cool.

7.  Core each cooled cupcake with a cupcake corer (or an apple corer), leaving a small well in the center of the cake. Fill to the brim with cooled lemon filling. Fill all cupcakes, then prepare the meringue.

8.  To make the meringue: In a very clean work bowl, whip the egg whites and Bakewell Cream or cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the salt. Gradually add the sugar, increasing the whipping speed and continuing to whip until the mixture is light and billowy, and stiff peaks form.

9.  Mound or pipe meringue onto each cupcake, then toast the meringue with a cook's torch; or carefully broil until golden brown. Serve warm, for a flowing lemon lava; or cool for a more set filling.

10. Yield: 12 cupcakes.