Blueberry Meringue Tart

Make the Crust

Step 1

In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine butter and Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Powdered Sugar. Cream mixture until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to incorporate.

Step 2

Once combined, transfer mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. The dough should be approximately ¼ inch thick. Cut the excess dough to level off the top edge. Once the dough has been pressed into the pan, place the pan into the refrigerator to firm up for 30 minutes. The dough can be left in the refrigerator overnight if desired.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350°F. Once the dough is firm, use a fork and prick the dough around the bottom and sides. Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and either using ceramic pie weights, dry beans, or an 8-in cake pan to place or pour on top of the parchment paper. Lightly press down on cake pan or pie weights to help eliminate any large bubbles in the crust while baking.

Step 4

Bake tart crust for 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove pan from oven and set aside on a cooling rack.

Make the Blueberry Pie Filling

Step 5

In a large saucepan add 3 of the 4 pints of washed blueberries to the saucepan. Add Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Heat on medium heat until the mixture starts to simmer.

Step 6

In a small bowl, combine the potato starch, water, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the starch mixture into the simmering blueberries. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat. Cook the mixture, while stirring occasionally for approximately 10 minutes to let the filling reduce and starch cook.

Step 7

Add the remaining pint of washed blueberries and cook for an additional 10 minutes to cook down the filling. Once the filling is thickened, set the filling aside to cool slightly. Pour the warm filling onto the crust. It is perfectly fine for the crust and filling to be warm; this helps to keep the filling adhered to the crust. Set tart aside to cool slightly. Place a piece of parchment paper and press onto the filling; this will help to eliminate a “skin” on the top. Place tart in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Once the tart has been fully chilled in the refrigerator, prepare the Swiss meringue.

Make the Swiss Meringue

Step 8

Fill a medium-sized saucepan with enough water that the water comes up approximately 1 ½ inches up the side of the pan. Heat over medium heat until the water is simmering.

Step 9

In a large metal mixing bowl that will fit on a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, Florida Crystals® Regenerative Organic Raw Cane Sugar, and salt. Combine ingredients with a wire whisk. Place the mixing bowl over the pan of simmering water. Using the whisk, whisk the egg whites to ensure the egg whites are moving in the bowl. Heat the egg whites over the double boiler until the egg white mixture reaches 160°F. This can be done by reading the temperature with an instant read thermometer.

Step 10

Once the egg whites have reached the correct temperature, remove the metal mixing bowl and place on a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment on low speed first and increase speed to medium. Add the vanilla extract. Whip the meringue on medium-high speed until stiff peaks are reached. To check to see if stiff peaks are reached, remove the whisk attachment, and pull some of the meringue out of the bowl with the whisk. A stiff peak will hold the shape and not fall when the wire whisk is turned upside down. The finished meringue will also be glossy and will have cooled down.

Top Your Tart

Step 11

Remove the side of the pan from the bottom. The tart may be decorated on the metal bottom, or it may be transferred to a platter or plate for serving. Scrape the finished meringue into a pastry bag that is fitted with an extra-large metal piping tip called a “cake icer.” This tip has one straight side, and the other side has “teeth” to make a grooved design. With the grooved side up and holding the pastry bag at a 45-degree angle, squeeze the meringue along the edge, while moving the bag up and down slightly so the meringue folds up on itself. This will make the edge look like a ribbon of meringue around the tart. Using a small butane torch, lightly toast the meringue. This can also be done in the broiler of the oven if a torch is not available.