Blueberry basil Lemon meringue mini pies (mini pies de arandanos y crema de limon)

I love lemon, always (I cant live without lemons) so today I offer you this delicious dessert of lemon and blueberries, and basil (the blueberries I used are frozen)
Basil is really nice in some sweet recipes and of course I love in pizzas, and others.
It is a dessert for all seasons, for those who have a terrible cold in Europe and North America and those who die of heat here in South America , Australia and New Zealand and other countries as well.
Love you all!

Source: California Giant berry farms

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups crushed square shortbread cookies or others
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries, additional for garnishing
1 tablespoon water
7 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon crushed dried or fresh basil leaves
3 eggs room temperature
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crean of tartar
fresh basil leaves for garnishing

Method

Heat oven to 180° C ( 350° F)
Place crushed cookies and melted butter in a bowl and stir well with a fork until crumbs are evenly coated. Divide crumbs evenly between 6 ramekins.
Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the ramekins. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.

Place the blueberries, water, 3 tablespoons of sugar and dried or fresh basil in a saucepan.

Cook and stir over medium high heat while it bubbles and the blueberies begin to burst. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens about 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat . It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Separate the eggs and put the yolks into a medium size bowl and the whites into a small glass or metal bowl.

Use and electric mixer to beat the yolks until pale and creamy, and then add the sweetened condensed milk and continue beating until combined. Gradually add in the lemon juice and continue beating until throughly combined and slightly thickened about 3 minutes.

Spread 1 teaspoon of the bueberry mixture evenly onto the bottom of each individual cookie crust. Spread 1/4 cup of the lemon mixture evenly on top of the blueberry in each ramekin.
Place the pan with all the ramekins in 180° oven and bake for 12 minutes.

While the pies are baking beat eggs whites and cream of tartar with clean beaters until foamy.
Gradually add 4 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff. Place the meringue in a piping bag with a large decorative tip.

Pipe a dollop of the meringue over the warm mini pie filling. Return pies to the oven and continue baking until the meringue browns, about 5-7 minutes.
Cool on the counter top and then chill in the refrigerator. Garnish with blueberries and fresh basil leaves.

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