I went a little tart happy this week…

Originally Published 07/11/2021

Ok, so I only made two! One savory, and one sweet! 

It’s been so hot here and I thought why should lemons get to have all the meringue fun – so inspired by the heat, I give to you a Dreamsicle Meringue Tart!

The orange curd is light and not too sweet. It goes perfectly with the fluffy vanilla meringue! Oh… did I mention the zesty lime shortbread crust?

A chilled slice of this Dreamsicle Meringue Tart is the perfect end to a blistering summer day!

So if you need a new summertime dessert idea check it out!

Let’s start with the lime shortbread crust for this Dreamsicle Meringue Tart!

This is essentially the same crust from the  Mango Meringue Tart recipe I posted a while back.

It’s just so tasty I thought why reinvent the wheel?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9″ tart tin. If you have an 8″ tart tin, that will work too, it will just make a deeper layer of curd and may take longer to bake.

This time around, instead of using a pastry blender to form the crust, I just threw everything in the food processor. It’s a quick and easy way to combine all the crust ingredients.

If you don’t have a food processor though, start by stirring together the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and lime zest. Next, cut the cold butter into tbsp chunks and add them to the flour mix, as well as the egg yolk. Use a pastry blender or fork to work the butter/egg into the flour until it resembles crumbs the size of peas. 

Once the shortbread crust is ready, dump it into the tart tin and press it evenly across the bottom. Then place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake it for 15-18 minutes or until just lightly golden brown.

Take it out, and set it to the side until you’re ready to fill it with curd!

I love curd.

Curds of all kinds! How can you not love something made of straight butter and egg yolks? It’s basically just straight sugar and cholesterol… shhh…. it’s perfectly good for you! 🤫😉😂

So, the next step to make this Dreamsicle Meringue Tart is to make the orange curd. 

Start by adding all the curd ingredients to a medium-size saucepan. 

You will need 2-4 oranges depending on how big they are and how much juice you can squeeze out of them. Fresh squeezed is best because well…it’s fresh! 

Making curd does require a lot of eggs!

This recipe calls for 4 whole eggs and 6 yolks. Out of the 6 egg yolks, make sure to save 3 egg whites to make the meringue with later!

Finally, to the medium saucepan, add the chunks of butter.

Cut the butter up first before adding it in. I made the mistake of adding a stick and it took too long to melt this way, throwing off the timing of the curd cooking. I ended up with scrambled egg whites which equals a chunky curd. 😝 Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and stir continuously for 5-7 minutes until the curd begins to thicken. 

After this, strain it through a mesh sieve to remove any chunks, and then pour the silky smooth orange curd into the prebaked lime shortbread crust! Bake the tart on the middle rack for 25-35 minutes.

It’s ready to be pulled back out when the edges are set and the very middle of the tart is just wiggly still!  The most difficult part of this recipe is letting the tart cool on the counter for a while just so you can let it cool in the fridge some more! Patience is a virtue I will probably never possess!

Once the Dreamsicle Meringue Tart has been chilled,

it’s time to make the vanilla meringue!

Remember those three egg whites you set aside? Pour them into the Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the whisk attachment as well as a 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar and start whipping on medium speed.  After this, turn the mixer on high and add the sugar in just a little bit at a time.  Once all the sugar is in, throw in the vanilla and whip it good! 

It’s ready to go when the meringue forms stiff peaks. I like to pipe the meringue on with either a star tip or a round tip. If you don’t have piping bags you can use a large freezer Ziploc, or just rustically spoon it on the top of the tart!

Toast that meringue!

I think every kitchen should have a blow torch. But in the off chance that your kitchen is lacking a tiny flame thrower… just stick that tart back in the oven on the top rack and broil the meringue briefly!

Don’t walk away though or all your hard work will literally go up in flames! After the meringue is toasted you can either: A) Put it in the fridge to chill again and patiently wait, or, B) you can slice it up and eat a delicious piece right away!

Like I said, patience… an overrated virtue 😉. Warm or cold, however, you choose to enjoy this, I hope you enjoy it with family or friends! Let me know if you give this recipe a shot and how it works out. And if you like it!? Thanks for reading!!

Print Recipe

Dreamsicle Meringue Tart

This Dreamsicle Meringue Tart boasts delicious orange curd in a zesty lime shortbread crust, topped with a light and fluffy vanilla meringue, the perfect summer dessert!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Chill Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dessert Recipe, Dreamsicle, Orange Dessert, orange tart, Summer Recipe, Tart, Winter Recipe

Servings: 8 slices

Equipment

• Kitchenaid Mixer
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Food Processor
• 9″ Tart Tin
• Medium saucepan
• Zester
• 16″ Piping Bag
• Large Round or Star Piping Tip
• Kitchen Blow Torch
• Mesh Sieve
• Medium Bowl
• Rubber Spatula

Ingredients

Lime Shortbread Crust

• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tbsp Corn Starch
• 2 tsp Lime Zest
• 6 tbsp Salted Butter Cold and cut into chunks
• 1 Egg Yolk

Orange Curd

• 1 Cup Valencia Orange Juice Freshly Squeezed = 2-4 oranges
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tbsp Orange Zest
• 4 Eggs
• 6 Egg Yolks save 3 egg whites for meringue
• 6 tbsp Salted Butter Cold and cut into chunks
• 1/8 tsp Salt

Vanilla Meringue

• 3 Egg Whites room temperature
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Lime Shortbread Crust

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray the 9″ tart tin with oil.
• In the food processor, add 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp lime zest, 6 tbsp of cold, salted butter cut into chunks, and lastly 1 egg yolk. Process just until shortbread dough forms.
• Remove the shortbread crust dough from the food processor and press it evenly into the bottom of the tart pan. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until just lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and set to the side.

Orange Curd

• In a medium-size saucepan, add 1 cup of freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp orange zest, 4 whole eggs, 6 egg yolks, 6 tbsp of butter cut into smaller chunks, and 1/8 tsp of salt. (Make sure to save three egg whites for the meringue later. Put them in a bowl and leave them out on the counter to come to room temperature.)
• Place the saucepan over medium heat and continuously whisk it until it just reaches a boil. You must keep whisking or you will end up with scrambled egg chunks in the curd. The curd will have just begun to thicken when it’s ready to come off of the burner, this should take about 5-7 minutes.
• Once the curd has thickened, remove the saucepan from the stove and pour the curd through a mesh sieve into a medium-size bowl. Use a rubber spatula to press the curd through the sieve. This will remove any lumps, chunks, scrambles, etc., and make a nice smooth curd.
• After the curd has been strained, pour it into the tart shell and smooth it evenly around. Place the tart in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 25-30 minutes.* You’ll know it’s done when the edges are all set and the very middle is just barely wiggly still.
• Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a cooling rack until it’s just warm, and then place it in the fridge to finish cooling. This will take about an hour.

Vanilla Meringue

• Towards the end of the tart cooling, it’s time to make the meringue. In your Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the 3 room temperature egg whites, and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar. Whip on medium speed until frothy.
• Turn the mixer to high and slowly add the sugar. Once all the sugar is in, add 1/4 tsp of vanilla. Continue to whip on high until stiff peaks form. When you lift the whisk from the meringue it should create a triangle that stands up.
• Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with either a large round or star tip.

To Finish

• Take the chilled orange tart out of the fridge and starting in the middle of the tart, pipe meringue all over the top.
• Use your kitchen blowtorch to toast the tops of the meringue. Alternatively, move the top oven rack up and set your oven to broil. After piping the meringue, place the tart back in the oven to quickly toast the meringue. Keep a close eye on it though, as the meringue will brown quickly!
• Slice, serve, and enjoy this awesome Dreamsicle Meringue Tart!

Notes

Tart pans obviously have a loose bottom. If you’re having trouble transporting the tart from the counter to the oven, place the tart pan on a baking sheet before filling it with the curd. That way you can just move the baking sheet and not have to worry about the tart pan coming apart.
Once the meringue has been piped, the tart will last in the fridge for up to 3 days, although it is best served right away.

If you need the tart to last longer, keep it covered and refrigerated for up to a week without the meringue, and finish it with the meringue just before serving.

This tart can also be filled and then frozen wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag for up to a month. Allow to thaw and then finish with meringue when you’re ready to enjoy it!

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