Grayscale Bergamot Meringue Tart

Ingredients

Tart Dough

135g Flour
45g Sugar
1/4tsp Salt 
90g Cold Butter 
39g Egg Yolks

Bergamot Curd

40g Lemon Juice 
20g Bergamot Juice 
1tsp Bergamot Zest 
75g Sugar 
30g Egg Yolks 
50g Eggs 
125g Butter
1/8tsp Salt 

Grayscale Meringue

10g Grayscale Tea
65g Boiling Water 
100g Sugar #1 
75g Egg Whites
22g Sugar #2 

Dehydrate Lemon Crisp

50g Eggs
50g Sugar
34g Lemon Juice
3 g Corn Starch

Directions

1. Add flour, sugar, salt & cold cubed butter to a stand mixer. Mix everything together at the lowest speed until it’s a consistent sandy texture. Add egg yolks and mix until incorporated. Empty dough onto parchment paper and press together. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll the dough to 3mm thickness. Chill overnight.

2. Next, preheat oven to 200°F. Make the dehydrated lemon crisis by whisking together sugar & corn starch in a pot. Add egg & lemon juice. Over medium heat, continue whisking until it comes to a boil. Strain the curd into a bowl. Line a sheet tray with parchment & spread the curd very thin. Dehydrate in oven for 2 hours. Once finished, break up pieces and store in an airtight container. 

3. Make the bergamot curd by adding all ingredients to a pot, except the butter. Whisk everything together & cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Off the heat, mix in the butter. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and cover with plastic before cooling overnight.

4. Brew Grayscale and the water for the meringue. Set in the fridge overnight.

5. Punch out tart shells using a 2 ½ inch ring cutter. Bake them from frozen at 350°F between two pieces of parchment and a sheet tray on top for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. 

 6. While they cool, make the meringue. Whip egg whites in a stand mixer. Once soft peaks form, sprinkle in sugar #2 and continue to mix. Then, strain tea through a sieve. Weigh the tea into a pot and adjust back up to 65 grams. Add sugar #1 and cook a syrup to 244°F (118°C). With the mixer on a slow speed, slowly pour syrup into the mixing egg whites. Turn the mixer back up and whip to firm, glossy peaks.

7. Pipe a dollop of bergamot curd into the center of the tart shell, then add the meringue on top using a wider piping tip. Garnish with pieces of the lemon crisps!