Lemon Tart

While I am baking some cookies for the superbowl party we are going to, here is my Lemon Tart recipe that I made for Thanksgiving.

If you are wondering whether I have suddenly developed an interest in American Football, no I haven’t. I sometimes watch a game on TV if I have nothing better to do and have been to a few Tech college football games as well. But watching the superbowl is just an excuse to hang out with friends and eat junk food. While we are on the topic of the Superbowl, can anyone please tell me why the game lasts three times longer than it should.

Coming back to the lemon tart, I have made it with store-bought pie shell as well as made the shell myself and I strongly recommend that you make the pastry shell using recipe below.

This recipe is adapted from Simple French Desserts.

Pastry Dough Shell

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Sift the flour and salt into the butter mixture and beat at low speed just until a soft dough forms.
2. Pat the dough into a disk. Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle between two sheets of plastic wrap.
3. Remove the top sheet of the plastic wrap and invert the pastry circle into the tart pan. Gently ease the pastry into the shell without stretching the dough. Remove the plastic wrap and roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim the excess dough. Use a fork to generously prick the bottom of the pastry shell.
4. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When it is chilled, freeze it for a few hours (or up to a week).

Lemon Tart

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Grated zest of 3 lemons
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pastry dough shell from above

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Fill a large skillet full with warm water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
3. In a medium stainless steel bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs, and yolks and whisk until smooth. Add the softened butter. The mixture will now have a curdled appearance.
4. Place the bowl in the simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon for 9-10 minutes, i.e. until the mixture is thick and smooth, with a soft, pudding-like texture.
5. Remove the bowl from the hot water and pour the lemon cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the pastry shell.
6. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, i.e. until the filling is set but not browned.

Cool it and enjoy!