Part 7/9:
The star filling is homemade lemon curd, prepared by whisking egg yolks with sugar, lemon juice, zest, and salt over medium heat until thickened—a process Martha carefully monitors to avoid curdling. She enriches the curd by pressing it through a sieve for smoothness and chilling it until ready to fill.
Fluffy Meringue Topping
Martha beats egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form, gradually adding sugar for glossy stiffness. She pipes big stars atop the filled tart shells, then browns the meringue at high heat until golden perfection. The result: light, airy tartlets bursting with tangy lemon flavor, topped with a beautiful caramelized meringue.