Deconstructed Lemonnand Mango Meringue Pie

I love deconstructed desserts because they save time, are hassle-free, and make for a beautiful presentation. This lemon custard is by far the best I have ever had. Top each one with the nut brittle, and I promise each plate will be scraped clean!

Mango Puree:
3 mangoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup sugar

Lemon Custard:
8 eggs, separated
½ cup lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup tapioca starch (or potato starch)

Pecan Almond Brittle:
1 cup sugar
¾ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup chopped almonds

Mango puree:
1. Puree mango in the food processor for 5 minutes.
2. Add mango puree to a small pot with sugar and ¼ cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then set aside.

Lemon Custard:
1. Beat egg whites on high speed until stiff.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks.
3. Add lemon juice, 1½ cups water, sugar, tapioca starch and beaten eggs yolks to a small pot and whisk well.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened to a pudding-like texture.
5. Remove from heat. Whisk in the beaten egg whites.

Pecan Almond Brittle:
1. Heat sugar in a large skillet, whisking constantly, until golden brown. Watch carefully because it can burn easily.
2. Mix in pecans and almonds, then pour mixture onto prepared parchment paper. Flatten it down and let cool.
3. Break brittle into large pieces. Pulse half of the brittle in the food processor to make brittle crunch.
4. To assemble, plate custard with mango puree, or alternatively layer in a glass cup. Add some pieces of brittle bark and sprinkle with brittle crunch to finish.