Lemon Tart X 2
Some people say it’s soup season. I’d rather think of it as citrus season and live on lemon tarts. I’ve made them 3 times in the past 30 days! (Disclaimer: Third not pictured because it was gobbled up too quickly.)
The first, pictured above, is a Lemon Olive Oil Tart with Candied Pistachios that I served for Christmas. My guests raved about it and I really loved it too. I’m pretty sold on anything lemon or pistachio. You can find that recipe on @susanspungen ’s blog/newsletter: Susanality. Make sure you give the curd time to set overnight in the tart crust. The one hour described in the recipe is definitely not long enough! Can't find the recipe on her blog? Send me a note.
Photos by Daniel Marks
The second, picture above, is a Classic Lemon Tart and is an all-time favorite. It really doesn’t need any adornment. Luscious lemon curd and a crisp, buttery shortbread crust, recipe below. The host of my recent book club served Boeuf bourguignon (so fancy!) in honor of our book being set in Paris, and this seemed like it would be a nice, balanced way to end the meal.
The crust is a classic recipe I learned from the master baking course at @chefericsculinaryclassroom a few years ago. I’ve tried others, but this one always works best for me. The bonus is that it makes a lot which means I have more mini tart crusts in the freezer, so stay tuned for some more to to come. If you have ideas of what to fill them with, send them my way!
Classic Lemon Curd Recipe
I really like this recipe from Pretty Simple sweet. It fills a 9-inch tart perfectly and slices beautifully. (If you're nervous about it not setting add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of butter at the end.) My only tip is to carefully take a taste of the curd just as it starts to thicken. Some lemons can be quite tart, so if the curd is too sour for you, add more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking until it is to your taste.
Sweet Tart Dough Recipe
(Adapted from Chef Eric Crowley)
Yield:
1, 12 inch tart. I usually make a 9-inch tart with it or several smaller tarts.
Difficulty:
Easy
Ingredients:
390 grams all purpose flour
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk flour, sugar and salt together. In a separate bowl, beat 1 egg and 1 egg yolk together.
Combine eggs and butter and the flour mixture in a with a food processor – or by hand with a pastry cutter – until it resembles course meal or wet sand.
Turn the dough out onto clean work surface and knead it until smooth, about 30 seconds. Shape the dough into a ball, dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour, and roll out the dough to a 14 inch circle for a 12-inch tart. Transfer the rolled-out dough to a tart pan with a removable bottom and pat into place. (Save excess for smaller tarts if desired. You can re-roll the dough many times without any ill effect. I usually get 1, 9-inch tart and about 5, 4-inch tarts. I'll line the smaller tarts and freeze them for future use.) Freeze the lined tart for 30 minutes.
Remove from freezer, line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights, uncooked rice, or uncooked dried beans. Place tart on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 25-30 minutes in the center of the oven until edges are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and remove the foil and pie weights. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the bottom is set and golden. Let cool completely then fill with lemon curd and refrigerate over night.
