Triple Chocolate Meringue Tart for Tickle the Imagination Magazine

Are you ready for chocolate overload. Like really seriously chocolate on chocolate on chocolate overload.

'Cause if you are the Triple Chocolate Meringue Tart I created for the latest issue of Tickle the imagination completely fits the bill.

You can find the recipe for it along with a stack of other amazing things to make and interesting stories about things Australian and handmade in the latest Home issue. Here is a free sneak peek of the magazine: http://bit.ly/1L4Mncb

But wait there's more. In the past few days the Handmade Coorperative - Australian Handmade 4 Kids have been having an online #TickleTour and it's been so fun watching them all make different items from the magazine. I'm kind of needy so I've been getting a big kick out of seeing them post pictures after they make the tart themselves. Plus some of the other crafty stuff they have been making is totally inspiring me to give it a go.

Make sure you pop up a picture on Instagram or Facebook if you get the magazine and make the tart yourself. I'd love to see it.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the Children's cookbook Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! Published in the USA in 2011 the book is still available at Amazon and many online bookstores.

Affililate links may earn me money and contribute to supporting this blog.

Original ideas, photography and recipes Linda Vandermeer please do not reuse without permission.

Lemon cream curd and raspberry tartlettes

These lemon cream tartlettes are the perfect little treat for a sweet afternoon tea.

Not too tart, the addition of cream to lighten the curd makes the filling sweet and tangy with a smooth velvety cloud-like quality.

I've used the microwave to make the lemon curd in just a couple of minutes, it's so simple. Click on the picture below to see the quick video tutorial (written instruction and ingredients are included below):


The lemon cream curd can also be used as a frosting for cupcakes, filling for whoopie pies or as a topping for pancakes or scones (biscuits).

Lemon cream and raspberry tartlettes makes 10

Sweet pastry cases (CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE)
Lemon cream (recipe below)
Punnet raspberries

To assemble tarts spoon or pipe lemon cream into pastry cases and top with raspberries.

Microwave Lemon Curd Cream
This recipe can be doubled, you will just need to increase the amount of time you microwave for, bursts can be increased to 30 seconds and continue until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (see video for demonstration).

50g (1 3/4 oz) lemon juice
2 large eggs
75 g caster(2 5/8oz) (superfine*) sugar
50g (1 3/4oz) unsalted butter (room temp)
1 1/2 sheets gelatine (gold leaf) #available at good food stores or see below for link to gelatine at Amazon
1/2 cup cream
*use regular white sugar if you can't locate superfine


Place lemon juice, eggs, sugar and butter into a microwave safe dish and whisk.

Heat in microwave at high for 20 seconds, remove from microwave and whisk well. Return to microwave and heat at high for another 20 second burst and then whisk again. Repeat process another 2 times. The mixture should be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile tear the gelatine into smaller pieces and pop into a dish of cold water for around a minute until soft. Remove as much excess water as possible and discard the water keeping the softened gelatine sheets.

Whisk the softened gelatine sheets into the lemon curd mixture.

Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap down onto the surface or the curd to prevent a skin from forming and pop into the fridge to chill until set.

Once the curd is chilled. Place the 1/2 cup of cream in a bowl and whip to firm peaks using an electric mixer (I used a hand mixer). Then using an electric mixer (I used the same hand mixer) whip the curd until smooth. Spoon the cream into the whipped curd and mix at high speed until well combined and the mixture is smooth.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author 

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

Homemade sweet pastry shell recipe

When I was younger I was always a bit scared of pastry cases. I suspect I must have had a bad experience with crumbly or too sticky pastry not rolling out and I gave up. Or maybe it was rubbing or cutting in the butter - I'm the first to admit that's not my strongest baking talent.

But I worked out if you have a blender it is so simple to make delicious sweet pasty shells that taste way better than the ones you can buy at the shop ready to fill.

I've done up this quick video tutorial to show how easy it is to make them yourself (or the written instructions and ingredients are below):


So these pastry cases have only 4 ingredients and you just whip them up in the blender, knead them a little, chill and roll out.

Pretty much if you can make roll out sugar cookies you can totally make these tarts.

Once you have mastered whipping these tarts up the options are endless, you can fill them with chocolate, cream and fruit, curd, custard. OK you get the picture pretty much anything.

I'll be having a series of posts in the near future with yummy fillings for you to try (some pictures included underneath recipe below).

Sweet Pastry Shell recipe

225g (8oz) plain (all purpose) flour
45g (1 1/2oz) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
125g (4 3/8oz) cold butter cut into cubes
1 egg yolk

Place flour and sugar into the bowl of a blender. Add the butter distributing it evenly over the top of the flour/sugar mixture.

Blend until the butter has been distributed and there are no large pieces left. The mixture will look like yellow sand.

Add the egg yolk and blend for another 30 seconds or until the mixture starts to clump together.

Tip the mixture onto your workbench and knead together. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

When ready to cut out, dust workbench and rolling pin lightly with plain (all purpose) flour and roll out the pastry, lifting and turning as you roll. Lifting and turning stops the pastry from sticking and contributes to the finished pastry being even.

Cut the pastry to shape and gently press into pan or dish cutting off any excess. For larger sizes you may like to use a fork to pierce the bottom of the uncooked pastry shell.

Place uncooked shells into the freezer for 30 minutes (or refrigerate until firm).

Preheat oven to 180C (350 F).

Place the uncooked shells onto a tray and cut pieces of baking paper (parchment paper) out a little large than each shell. Using baking weights, beans or rice (or I used a glass) weigh down the center of the paper.

Bake the shells for 10 minutes or until they just start to turn golden, remove the weights and paper and then continue to bake for another 5 minutes.

Allow to cool and fill as desired.

Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature until required for 5 days.

Caramel Macadamia tart (recipe coming soon)

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author

Original Ideas, photography and recipes by Linda Vandermeer do not reuse without permission. 

Lemon Cream tart (CLICK HERE for recipe)