Grapefruit Meringue Tartlets
A twist on the classic lemon meringue pie, these grapefruit meringue tartlets use ruby-red grapefruit paired with a hint of fresh rosemary in the crust. Grapefruit is slightly less acidic than lemons, so this recipe is perfect for those who want a refreshing, citrus-y dessert with a little less lip-puckering!
This recipe might look a little complicated, but it’s actually much easier than it sounds. Just take it one step at a time. You can make this recipe in either a 9″ tart pan or six mini-tartlet pans, like these made by Wilton. If you’re short on time, you could also use a premade pie shell instead; you’ll miss the hints of rosemary and the texture will be more of a typical flaky pie crust, but this grapefruit filling is so good it goes well in anything! Keep in mind that depending on how sweet or sour your grapefruits are, you may need to adjust the sugar content of the filling slightly.
This recipe does require some resting between steps (if you’re making your own crust), and cooling after it’s baked, so be sure to plan ahead. The meringue topping is a little fragile, so it’s best to cover leftovers with a hard case (like a pie or cake keeper, or a baking sheet with a lid) rather than foil or plastic wrap.
Grapefruit Meringue Tartlets with Rosemary Crust
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups pastry flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 ½ tbsp finely minced fresh rosemary (optional, about 1 sprig worth of stripped leaves)
- 1 egg
For the filling:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 2 ½ cups red grapefruit juice
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 2 tbsp butter
For the meringue
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the crust
- Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a food processor.
- Cube the butter and add it into the mixture. If using a food processor, pulse lightly until the mixture forms small, loose crumbs. If mixing by hand, cut the butter in with a pastry cutter.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and fresh rosemary to the mixture and pulse or cut in until the dough starts to come together, but hadn't formed a large ball yet.
- Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly to keep it from drying out. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. You can also freeze the dough for a couple of months if you'd like to store it for future use.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F with the rack in the center.
- Once the dough is chilled, unwrap it on a lightly floured surface. If making tartlets, divide into as many equal-weight pieces as you have tins. Roll out into circles an inch or two larger than your tartlet pans, around ⅛" thick. If the dough is too stiff to work easily, allow it to rest for a few minutes at room temperature.
- Press the dough gently into the tartlet pans and trim away the excess.
- Press parchment paper or aluminum foil on top of the dough and fill with pie weights. You can also use dried beans or uncooked rice in place of ceramic pie weights.
- Blind bake for around 8 minutes if using small tarlet pans, or around 15 minutes if using a full-size 9" tart pan. Remove the weights and covering and bake another 3-5 minutes until the inside of the shell is golden brown.
Prepare the filling
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, and grapefruit juice in a cold sauce pan. Stir until well combined. Turn the heat on to medium-high and heat until thick and bubbling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- While stirring the egg yolks vigorously, drizzle around ½ cup of the still-hot filling mixing into the egg yolks to bring them up to temperature. Then while stirring the filling constantly, add the yolk and filling mixture back into the filling.
- While still stirring, add in the butter until melted and the mixture is completely combined, glossy and uniform. Pour immediately until tart crusts. The mixture will begin to set right away, so it wouldn't hurt to take a small time-out to clean your sauce pan now - it'll be easier than waiting until later!
Prepare the meringue topping
- In a completely clean glass or metal mixing bowl, add the three egg whites and cream of tartar. Mix lightly with a fork to combine.
- Beat the egg whites until frothy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the egg whites are lofty and hold a stiff peak; if using, add the vanilla extract right at the end.
- If you're feeling fancy, you can gently add the meringue to a piping bag and pipe it onto the tartlets. If you intend to top with fresh fruit, you can leave a little open space without meringue to place the fruit. Or feel free to simply spoon the meringue on top.
- Bake for another 12-15 minutes until the topping reaches the desired level of golden or dark brown.
- Allow to cool on a rack for at least an hour before popping the tartlets out of their pans. They can be served at room temperature or chilled, and optionally can be topped with a little fresh segmented grapefruit.
