4ouncesunsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
optional: 2 drops orange food coloring
For the Grand Marnier Italian meringue:
1cupgranulated sugar
1/4cupwater
1teaspoonKaro corn syrup
3egg whites
3tablespoonsGrand Marnier
Instructions
To make the curd:
In a medium saucepan, whisk eggs, egg yolks and sugar together until smooth. Whisk the corn starch together with a bit of the orange juice to create a slurry.
Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice and slurry into the egg mixture.
Add the food coloring if using.
Continue to whisk over medium heat until thick, 10-15 minutes. It should be the consistency of pudding. Make sure the whisk hits the bottom of the pot to keep the bottom from burning. This is less likely to happen if you use a heavy bottom saucepan.
Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in pieces of the butter.
Move the curd to a bowl and allow to chill in the refrigerator. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Store extra curd in the refrigerator with plastic wrap pushed directly against the curd to prevent a skin from forming.
To make the Italian meringue:
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they form a stiff peak.
While the egg whites are whisking, add the sugar, water and corn syrup to a medium saucepan and cover.
Bring the sugar to a boil. Remove the lid from the pan once steam has formed on the sides (this will prevent the sugar from crystalizing.) Insert a candy thermometer and cook the sugar until it reaches 235-240 degrees F, also known as the soft ball stage.
Once the egg whites have reaches a stiff peak, turn the speed to low and carefully pour the sugar syrup down the inside of the mixer and into the meringue. Don't pour too quickly or the eggs will cook.
Whip the meringue on high speed until it comes back to room temperature. Slowly add the Grand Marnier, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Assemble the tarts:
Scoop approximately 1 teaspoon of orange curd into each fillo cup. Use a piping bag with a tip or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the Italian meringue on top of each tart. Use a culinary torch to brulee the top of each tart.
Notes
This recipe will yield some extra meringue. Use it to make meringue cookies! Pipe the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours.