Lovely little tarts are like lemon meringue pie, but feature fresh papaya for a tropical twist. The fluffy eggless meringue is amazing. Can also be made into a 9 inch pie. Dairy-free and vegan.
6pre-baked4 inch tart shells or 1 pre-baked nine-inch pie shell
Instructions
Lemon Papaya Filling
Cut papayas in half and scoop out seeds. Rinse and dry the seeds on a paper towel if saving to use in salad dressing.
Scoop the flesh from papayas into a measuring cup and press down to flatten. Measure 2 cups into a blender jar.
Add lemon juice, salt, water and sugar. Blend on high speed until very smooth. Turn speed down and sprinkle agar powder into center of moving mixture. Blend a minute to thoroughly mix in agar powder.
Pour papaya filling into a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring. Cook at a gentle boil for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate. Let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Pour filling into 6 pre-baked tart shells. Or, pour into one pre-baked 9-inch pie shell. Chill in refrigerator until set, about 4 hours.
Meringue Topping
Place aquafaba in a mixing bowl with cream of tartar. Whip until foamy and double in volume. Slowly begin adding powdered sugar and continue whipping until meringue reaches fluffy peaks. Turn off mixer and let sit while cooking cornstarch mixture.
Whisk water and cornstarch together in a small pan. Bring to a boil while stirring and cook until very thick and translucent. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly. You want cornstarch mixture to be warm and still soft, but not hot, when you add it to whipped meringue.
Begin whipping thickened meringue again. Add cornstarch mixture one teaspoon at a time while whipping meringue. Finish whipping meringue to stiff peak stage. A knife cut should hold in meringue. Whip in vanilla.
Assemble Tarts
Preheat broiler and adjust oven rack 6 inches below broiler.
Spoon or pipe meringue on top of each tart. Place tarts on a baking tray. Put tarts under broiler and watch while tops brown. Browning takes place really quickly!
Tarts are ready to eat, but refrigerating 30 minutes before slicing is recommended with a large pie. Store tarts or pie up to 3 days in refrigerator.
Notes
Recipe Tips
Aquafaba is like egg whites in that any grease in a mixing bowl or on utensils will defeat the fluffing of the mixture. Extra meringue can be frozen and enjoyed as a dessert topping if eaten immediately after being taken from the freezer.