Meringued Mango Passion Fruit Tartlets

### Meringued Mango Passion Fruit Tartlets

These meringue-topped tartlets are a delightful combination of a buttery almond shortcrust pastry, a smooth mango-passion fruit curd, a glossy neutral glaze, and a delicate Italian meringue, lightly toasted with a blowtorch. The balance of sweet, tangy, and nutty flavors makes these tartlets an irresistible treat for any occasion.

For the fruit purees, you can find high-quality mango and passion fruit purées on the online store *Pour les Gourmets*, ensuring that the flavor profile of these tartlets remains rich and authentic. This recipe makes four tartlets, each measuring 10 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in height. If you wish to make smaller tartlets, you can use the same proportions to create six tartlets with a diameter of 8 cm and a height of 2 cm.

### Almond Shortcrust Pastry

The foundation of any good tartlet is its pastry, and for these, we’ll be using an almond shortcrust dough. The nutty undertones of almond powder combined with a buttery, crisp texture make it the perfect base for the fruity and sweet fillings.

#### Ingredients:
- 130 g of soft butter
- 260 g of all-purpose flour
- 90 g of icing sugar
- 30 g of almond powder
- 2 g of salt
- 1 egg

For the egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 g of liquid cream

#### Instructions:
Start by preparing the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the soft butter (cut into small cubes), flour, icing sugar, almond powder, and salt. Mix the ingredients together until the texture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the egg and continue mixing until the dough begins to form into a ball. Then, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 2 mm, placing it between two sheets of parchment paper to make the process easier. Once rolled out, refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably overnight.

The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and use it to line your tartlet rings. Trim any excess dough with a knife to ensure the pastry fits snugly within the rings. Place the tartlet bases on an air mat for even cooking and bake at 160°C (320°F) for approximately 15 minutes. After baking, allow the tartlet shells to cool, and then brush them with a golden egg wash mixture (egg yolk and cream). Return them to the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until the bases are golden brown and crisp.

### Mango-Passion Fruit Curd

The filling for these tartlets is a tangy and creamy curd made from a combination of mango and passion fruit purees. This curd offers a tropical punch of flavor that complements the rich almond pastry and sweet meringue topping.

#### Ingredients:
- 50 g of mango puree
- 50 g of passion fruit puree
- 75 g of sugar
- 86 g of eggs
- 1 g of gelatin (200 bloom) – approximately half a sheet of Vahiné gelatin
- 100 g of butter

#### Instructions:
Begin by hydrating the gelatin in cold water for a few minutes. Then, heat the mango and passion fruit purees in a saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.

Gradually add the warm purees to the egg mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Return the mixture to a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd reaches 83°C (181°F).

Once the curd reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the heat and stir in the hydrated gelatin and cold, cubed butter. Stir the mixture well until the butter has fully melted and the curd is smooth and glossy.

Pour the curd into the cooled tartlet shells and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow it to set and firm up.

### Neutral Glaze

To give the tartlets a beautiful glossy finish, we’ll use a neutral glaze. This glaze not only adds shine but also helps preserve the freshness of the tartlets.

#### Ingredients:
- 25 g of water
- 12 g of sugar
- 1 g of gelatin (200 bloom) – approximately half a sheet of Vahiné gelatin

#### Instructions:
Begin by hydrating the gelatin in cold water. In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add the pre-hydrated gelatin to the mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Allow the glaze to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, brush a thin layer of the glaze over the top of each tartlet to give them a shiny finish. Refrigerate the tartlets for an additional hour to ensure the glaze sets properly.

### Italian Meringue

The final touch to these tartlets is the Italian meringue, which is both airy and slightly sweet. The meringue is made with egg whites and sugar syrup, and it’s lightly toasted with a kitchen blowtorch for added flavor and texture.

#### Ingredients:
- 35 g of egg whites
- 70 g of sugar
- 25 g of water

#### Instructions:
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water, and bring it to a boil. As the sugar syrup heats up, begin whipping the egg whites on medium speed.

When the sugar syrup reaches 110°C (230°F), start to slowly pour the syrup in a thin stream into the whipped egg whites, while continuing to whisk on low speed. Once all the syrup is incorporated, increase the speed to high and whisk until the meringue has cooled to room temperature and forms stiff peaks.

Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with your desired nozzle. Pipe the meringue onto the tops of the tartlets, creating decorative peaks.

Using a kitchen blowtorch, lightly toast the meringue to give it a golden, slightly caramelized finish.

### Assembling the Tartlets

Once all the components are ready, carefully assemble the tartlets. First, ensure the curd has set properly in the pastry shells. Next, brush the tartlets with the neutral glaze to give them a polished look. Then, pipe the Italian meringue on top, creating swirls and peaks. Finish by lightly torching the meringue to give it that signature golden color.

### Serving

Allow the tartlets to cool slightly before serving. The combination of the crisp almond pastry, tangy curd, and sweet, toasted meringue creates a perfect balance of textures and flavors. These meringue-topped mango passion fruit tartlets are a tropical delight that is sure to impress your guests.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor and indulge in these delicious, show-stopping tartlets!

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