Apple Meringue Tartlets

Place the flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar in a food processor, then add the softened butter cut into pieces. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. You can also make this by hand — it works just as well. Simply rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips until crumbly.

Add the egg yolks (the whites will be used for the meringue) and pulse again. Then bring the dough together into a ball with your hands. Do not knead the dough — handle it as little as possible, just enough to form a ball. Refrigerate the dough for 20–30 minutes or longer.

Divide the dough into 12 balls. Flatten each ball into a thin round and press it into the tartlet molds, fitting it snugly against the sides. Silicone molds work best, as it will be easier to remove the finished tartlets. Chill thoroughly — I put them in the freezer for 15 minutes to help them hold their shape during baking. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) for approximately 5–15 minutes. Let cool.

Make the filling. Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut into small pieces. Place in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, and sugar. Adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your apples — if they are very sweet, you can skip the sugar altogether.

Stir, then cover and simmer over low heat until the apples are medium-soft. The cooking time will vary depending on the variety of apples.

Make the meringue. Beat the egg whites, gradually adding the powdered sugar, then add the lemon juice and continue beating to stiff peaks. The mixture should be glossy, shiny, and thick. I beat mine for about 7 minutes, but the time can vary greatly depending on the type and power of your mixer — you may need more or less time. Add the starch at the end of beating.

Spoon the warm filling into the tartlet shells, packing it in firmly to fit as much as possible. Tuck a berry inside each one. I had frozen strawberries in my freezer and picked out the smallest ones. You can also use raspberries, cherries, blueberries, currants, etc. There's no need to thaw the berries beforehand. If you don't have any berries on hand, you can skip them — they're optional.

Pipe the meringue on top using a pastry bag.

Bake in an oven preheated to 140°C (285°F) for approximately 40–60 minutes, adjusting as needed for your oven. The meringue should turn a light cream color and sound hollow when tapped. Let cool. Carefully remove from the molds — avoid handling the meringue tops as they are fragile. I gently removed them by peeling back the silicone and pushing up from the bottom.

Here's the cross-section! A crisp meringue top, a soft creamy meringue layer, a berry, juicy fragrant apples with a hint of lemon, and a soft, tender crust. The flavor is like a delicate, soft apple pastry — absolutely delightful!

These apple meringue tartlets are not only beautiful but incredibly delicious!