Black sesame meringue tart

Baker Crystelle Pereira brings a showstopping dessert centerpiece to the table with this impressive black sesame meringue tart recipe. Dark chocolate biscuit base holds a layer of nutty black sesame and almond frangipane topped with tangy orange curd. Encased under glossy, blowtorched Swiss meringue peaks, it delivers a stunning balance of rich, citrus, and toasted flavors.

By Crystelle Pereira
From Saturday Kitchen 31Oct26

This decadent dessert tart provides essential healthy fats, calcium, and minerals from sesame seeds, tahini, and almonds. However, higher proportion of refined sugars, butter, and chocolate biscuits places the overall profile at a Nutri-Score D, making it a rich celebratory treat to enjoy in moderation.

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Ingredients

How the Timings Work

• Stage 1 (Base & Curd prep): Toast sesame seeds, crush biscuits, brown butter, and press into a 23cm loose bottom tart tin before cooking orange curd on the hob to set.
• Stage 2 (Frangipane & Bake): Grind sesame seeds in a food processor, cream batter, spread over orange curd layer, and bake at 170C Fan for 20 minutes until springy.
• Stage 3 (Swiss Meringue): Dissolve whites and sugar over a pan of simmering water, then whip in a stand mixer into glossy stiff peaks.
• Stage 4 (Decorate & Toast): Spoon meringue into piping bags, pipe decorative peaks over cooled tart, and brown using a kitchen blowtorch.

Method

Stage 1: Pressing Crust and Cooking Orange Curd (30 mins)

1. Crush biscuits and toast seeds. Pulse 265g Oreo biscuits in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Toast 20g black sesame seeds in a dry pan for 5 to 7 minutes until nutty, then toss into crushed biscuits.
2. Brown butter and chill shell. Melt 100g unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat, cooking until it foams and turns nutty golden brown. Stir browned butter into biscuit crumbs. Press mixture evenly across base and sides of a 23cm loose bottom tart tin. Refrigerate until firm.
3. Infuse citrus sugar. Rub zest from 2 oranges into 30g caster sugar inside a small saucepan using your fingertips to extract fragrant oils. Pour in 35ml orange juice and warm gently over low heat.
4. Thicken curd. Whisk 2 egg yolks and 1 tsp cornflour in a bowl until smooth. Gradually stream warm citrus juice into yolks while whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and stir over low heat for 7 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat, whisk in 35g chilled butter, strain through a fine mesh sieve, spread thinly over cold biscuit base, and chill to set.

Stage 2: Baking Nutty Black Sesame Frangipane (35 mins)

1. Grind sesame and mix dry items. Blitz 125g black sesame seeds in the food processor into a fine meal. Whisk together ground sesame, 85g ground almonds, 30g plain flour, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
2. Beat frangipane batter. Cream 120g softened butter and 60g caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs, 30g tahini, and 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste until fully combined, then gently fold in dry sesame mixture.
3. Spread and bake. Preheat oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Carefully spread black sesame frangipane over set orange curd in the tart shell, smoothing the surface. Bake for 20 minutes until frangipane springs back when gently pressed and a skewer comes out clean. Leave tart to cool completely.

Stage 3: Whipping Swiss Meringue (20 mins)

1. Dissolve egg white sugar. Place a saucepan filled with 2cm water over gentle heat. Combine 2 egg whites and 95g caster sugar in a heatproof bowl set over the pan (ensure bowl base does not touch water). Whisk constantly until sugar crystals melt and liquid reaches 60C for safe pasteurisation.
2. Whip stiff peaks. Transfer warm mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add ⅙ tsp cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Whisk on high speed for 5 to 7 minutes until thick, glossy stiff peaks hold form.

Stage 4: Piping and Torch Finishing (15 mins)

1. Pipe meringue peaks. Fill piping bags with meringue and snip a small opening at the tip. Pipe decorative tall peaks in concentric circles starting from outer edges working inward across cooled tart surface.
2. Toast surface. Pass a kitchen blowtorch flame lightly over piped meringue tips until golden brown, then slice and serve.

Techniques for Success

1. Browning Butter for Biscuit Base

Gently cooking butter past its melting point toasts milk solids, imparting a warm, nutty aroma that enhances dark chocolate biscuit crumbs.

• Failure if done wrong: High heat burns milk solids black, creating a bitter, acrid taste in the tart crust.
• Step-by-step checks: Melt butter on low heat. Watch for foaming, then remove from heat once milk solids turn golden brown.
• Visual/physical signs of success: Amber liquid with fragrant toasted hazelnut aroma and brown flecks at the pan base.
• Finished result profile: Deeply aromatic, rich biscuit crust supporting nutty frangipane.

2. Tempering Egg Yolks for Curd

Gradually introducing warm citrus juice into egg yolks raises egg temperature slowly without shocking proteins into curds.

• Failure if done wrong: Adding hot liquid rapidly cooks egg yolks into scrambled egg lumps.
• Step-by-step checks: Pour warm orange juice in a slow, steady stream while whisking yolks constantly. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
• Visual/physical signs of success: Smooth, glossy custard that evenly coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Finished result profile: Silky, tangy orange layer offering sharp citrus contrast.

3. Swiss Meringue Pasteurisation

Heating raw egg whites with sugar over water dissolves sugar crystals while bringing egg proteins to a safe pasteurisation temperature before whipping.

• Failure if done wrong: Underheating leaves grainy sugar texture and unsafe raw egg whites; overheating cooks whites into solid foam.
• Step-by-step checks: Heat over gentle steam. Whisk continuously until sugar grains disappear completely between fingers and mixture reaches 60C.
• Visual/physical signs of success: Smooth warm liquid that whips into brilliant white, glossy stiff peaks.
• Finished result profile: Marshmallow-like, stable Swiss meringue holding sharp piped peaks.

Tips and Swaps

• Get ahead: Make the biscuit base and orange curd 1 day ahead, keeping the lined tart shell covered in the fridge. Bake frangipane and pipe meringue on the day of serving.
• Swaps: Substitute orange juice and zest with passion fruit pulp or lime juice for an exotic citrus twist.
• Vegetarians: Ensure your Oreo biscuits and sugar source are certified vegetarian; substitute agar-agar if modifying curd setting agents.
• Leftovers: Store leftover slice portions loosely tented under foil in the fridge for up to 2 days (avoid airtight plastic which softens crisp meringue).

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