Mini passion fruit tarts (dairy free!)

I almost went for a classic tart for Tu Bishvat this year. After some research I realized that classic fruit tart recipes are really a dime a dozen! So I went deep on my most favorite tropical fruit of all time, the passion fruit, and created these mini passion fruit tarts. I think I'm in love. The creamy passion fruit curd is easy to make, dairy free, and spoon licking delicious. I tucked it in a store bought tart and then went fancy on a meringue topping. You can enjoy them without the meringue, or with a homemade crust if your feeling it. This so closely rivals the classic lemon meringue tart, I think I must do a side by side taste test!!

Ingredients needed for these mini passion fruit tarts:

Curd:

• Egg yolks (reserve the whites for meringue topping or an egg white omelet for lunch)
• Passion fruit puree- I bought this on Amazon but you can also DIY it and I'll let you know how later on in this post.
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Melted coconut oil

Meringue:

• Egg whites
• Sugar
• Vanilla extract

Crust:

Store bought mini crusts

How to make them:

1. Start by making the passion fruit tart curd. Combine the egg yolks, passion fruit puree, sugar, and cornstarch in a pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spoon. (5-7 minutes)
2. Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the melted coconut oil. Mix well. Pour the passion fruit tart curd into a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap should be touching the curd. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before filling the tarts.
3. Once the curd has chilled, spoon or pipe it into the mini tart shells. Set the filled passion fruit tarts aside while you make the meringue topping.
4. Fill a saucepan with 2" of water. Place a metal or glass bowl over the saucepan and add in the egg yolks and sugar for the meringue. Turn the flame to medium-low and whisk the mixture often until the sugar has properly dissolved. You can test it out by rubbing the mixture between your fingers. If you feel the grains of sugar, it's not ready yet.
5. Once the meringue is ready, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form.
6. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a tip and pipe a design over the tart. Toast with a blow torch or under the broiler for a few seconds.

Storing mini passion fruit tarts:

Ideally, the tarts are best eaten same day as the meringue can release moisture over time. Loosely wrap the passion fruit tarts. Refrigerate, and enjoy within 2 days.

How to make homemade passion fruit puree:

If you want to make the puree at home, you can! All you need is fresh passion fruit and some kitchen equipment. Slice 10 passion fruits in half and scoop out the pulp. Add the pulp to a food processor or blender and pulse 2-3 times. This helps separate the seeds. You don't want to pulse it too much and break down the seeds. Next, strain the pulp through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds. You can use a spatula to help you along! You now have passion fruit puree to be used in this recipe!

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