Ohio Lemon Tart

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. For the crust, combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Mix with your hands or a spatula until the mixture holds together. Pat the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch round or rectangular tart pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until very lightly browned.

3. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
4. For the filling, whisk the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the sugar in a small bowl. Place the remaining 1¾ cups sugar with the sliced lemons in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is moistened. Add a little hot sugar mixture to the eggs and whisk to temper the eggs. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot lemon mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, coats the back of a wooden spoon, and creates a trail in the bottom of the saucepan when you drag the spoon across the bottom. The filling will continue to thicken as it cools. Transfer the filling to a food processor or blender and process or blend until the lemons are in very small pieces.

5. For the meringue, set a metal bowl over a saucepan of water and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved completely. Test by rubbing some of the mixture through your finger to make sure all sugar crystals have dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.
6. To assemble the tart, spread the filling into the crust. Top with the meringue and make loop-de-loops with a metal spatula or a piping bag fitted with a number 8 tip.
7. Bake for 4 to 7 minutes, or until the peaks of the meringue have browned. Let cool before serving.

Recipe from Heartland by Judith Fertig/Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011.