Deep Dish Lemon Meringue Tart

square image of lemon meringue pie on a pedestal and a slice on a plate

This dreamy creamy lemon meringue tart is made in a deep dish tart pan to accommodate all the rich, lemony filling. Topped with copious swirls of Swiss meringue, this is a real show stopper. But it's also not hard to make, and my real time video walks you through the whole process. I recorded the video live and share the whole thing here so you can literally watch me make this whole production in real time.

Course Pies and Tarts

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 15

Additional Time 8

Total Time 9

Servings deep dish tart--8 slices

Calories 480kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Crust

12 oz Graham crackers about 18 squares or 9 "sheets" of store-bought
2-3 oz cool butter 2 oz if using homemade Graham crackers, 3 oz if using store bought
pinch of salt

For the Filling

4 oz 1/2 block cream cheese, softened
4 large egg yolks
heavy pinch of salt
zest of 3 medium or 2 large lemons
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice strained of pulp and seeds (measure after straining, not before)

For the Swiss Meringue

4 egg whites about 5 oz
7.5 oz granulated sugar or 1 1/2 times the weight of your egg whites
heavy pinch of salt
1 Tablespoons freshly squeeze lemon juice

Instructions

For the Crust

Preheat oven to 350F.
Add the Graham crackers and salt to the bowl of your food processor.
Pulse until finely and evenly ground
Add 2 oz of butter and pulse until evenly combined. The "dough" should hold together reasonably well when you squeeze a bit together.
Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 2" deep tart pan or a deep dish pie pan. NOTE: Unlike in the video, press the crumbs all the way up the sides so there will be enough room for all the filling.
Place your pan on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. If the crust slumps a bit, press it back into place with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
Set aside, still on the baking sheet.

For the Lemon Filling

Whisk the cream cheese and the yolks together until completely smooth.
Add the salt, zest, and condensed milk and whisk until well combined.
Slowly whisk in the lemon juice until smooth. Mixture will start to thicken.
Scrape all the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 20 minutes or until the pie is set and doesn't shimmy when you shake the pan.
While the pie is in the oven, make the meringue.

For the Swiss Meringue

Choose a pot that the bowl from your mixer will fit in without touching the bottom.
Add an inch or so of water to the pot and bring to a boil.
Place the whites, sugar, and salt into the mixer bowl and place atop the pan of boiling water.
Regulate the heat so the water stays at a high simmer/low boil, and whisk the whites mixture constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very hot. You want to get to at least 140F, but I like to take mine to 165F to ensure the whites are cooked.
Once you're reached the magic temperature, remove the bowl from the pot of water, dry off the bottom, and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until cool and very thick and glossy.
Add the lemon juice and whisk until completely incorporated.

To Finish and Torch

Once the meringue is done, pile it on top of your still hot tart and spread it out to touch the crust all around.
Swirl and swoop with a small spatula until you like the way it looks.
Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch or place it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown.
Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, until cold. Loosely tent with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

To Bake In a 2" x 9" Cake Pan

If all you have is a 9" x 2" cake pan, you can bake this tart in that pan. Before pressing in the crumb crust, cut two long strips of heavy duty aluminum foil about 4" wide and long enough to run across the bottom and up the sides of the pan with an overhang of about 4 inches on either side.

Fold each strip in half, lengthwise, and lay one across the other in the pan. Smooth them out and then press in the crust.

Once the pie is baked and topped with meringue, let cool to just warm, and then use the overhanging aluminum foil strips to carefully lift the tart up and out of the pan. Place on a cake plate or something similar and then chill until time to serve.

Make Ahead

You can make the crust up to 2 days in advance. Store it, well-wrapped, at room temperature until ready to fill with lemony goodness and bake.

Make the entire pie up to 2 days in advance and store it, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in the fridge until ready to serve.

Nutrition