Blood orange meringue tarts

Makes 6

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Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/ Gas 6. Knead the pastry dough until soft. Press down a little, wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes. Divide the pastry into 6, and roll out one thin round at a time to line the tart cases, then prick the bases with a fork. Scrunch up some baking paper and uncurl to line the tart cases, then fill with baking beans. Chill for 20 minutes. Blind bake for 20 minutes or until tarts have turned a biscuit colour. Remove beans and paper and cook for another 5 minutes until crisp. Lower the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.

For the filling, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, zest and juice together until combined, then sift over the flour a little at a time, whisking between each addition.
Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 15 minutes until set. Cool the tarts completely. Just before serving, take the tarts out of their tins.

Preheat the oven 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. For the meringue topping, whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt, using very clean equipment, until the mixture holds
its shape firmly when the beaters are lifted out. Add the sugar, about 30g at a time, whisking well between each addition until firm peaks form. Either pile even
amounts onto the top of each tart and peak the mixture into shapes, or pipe on a pattern with a star-shaped or small plain nozzle fitted onto a piping bag. Bake for 3-6 minutes until just firm and tinged golden. Serve within a few hours.