Ingredients (serves 8)

• 2.5 cups Almond Meal or Flour
• 1 pinch Sea Salt
• 0.25 t Cinnamon
• 0.5 cup Butter
• 2 T Sugar
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 2 Whole Eggs
• 1 cup Caster Sugar
• 1 T Lemon Zest, finely grated
• 0.5 cup Lemon Juice
• 150g Cold, unsalted butter, chopped
• 330g Caster Sugar
• 4 Egg Whites

Method

1. For the Gluten Free Tart Base (adapted from Jessie Oleson Moore on Craftsy): Preheat oven to 180c. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the almond meal, salt and cinnamon until combined. If there are big lumps, break them with your fingers. Add the butter, and stir together with pastry cutter or by hand until the mixture has fully combined. Turn the dough onto a greased tart pan with a loose base, ensuring base and sides are uniformly covered. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake the crust in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Keep a close eye on the crust, because the color of the almond meal can make detecting the golden color tricky.
2. For the Lemon Curd (adapted from Donna Hay): Place the lemon juice in a small saucepan & reduce by half, cool. Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow water to touch the base of the bowl) and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually add the butter, 3 pieces at a time, stirring continuously until melted. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, for 4–6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Strain immediately into a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold.
3. For Italian Meringue: Place sugar in a heavy-based saucepan, add ¼ cup water and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook until syrup reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer, then remove from heat. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, then, with motor running, slowly add hot syrup and whisk for 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low until ready to use.
4. To Assemble: Full cooled tart base with lemon curd, smooth surface. Spoon meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 2cm plain nozzle and pipe 3cm high peaks over lemon filling. Place pie under a hot grill or using a blowtorch, toast meringue until evenly golden. Decorate with herbs and edible flowers from the garden.