I am very lucky that my sister has a giant Meyer lemon tree. There was no shortage of fragrant, juicy lemons while creating this recipe. You can use Eureka lemons but because they’re more tart, I’d increase the sugar to 2/3 cup. This tart has three components: sablee crust, lemon curd filling and lightly sweetened whipped cream. Pretty classic and simple. Okay, I made the top look a little fancy because I got a new piping tip, but other than that, this is my take on the classic lemon curd tart.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 (20g) large egg yolk
2 teaspoons cold water, plus extra if needed
1 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour
3 TB granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoon (113g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
Filling:
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 (150g) large eggs
3 (60g) large egg yolks
2/3 cup (162g) Meyer lemon juice, about 4 lemons
3 tablespoons (42g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Topping:
1 1/3 cups (333 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (42g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped or 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
For the crust:
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water until combined. Set aside.
In a food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of small peas. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture while pulsing until the dough just starts to come together. It should start to clump together. To test, take a small portion in your hand and if the dough holds, you’re done. If it’s a bit dry and mealy, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it holds.
Empty the dough onto your work surface and bring together to form a round disc. Flatten to about 1″ thick. The flatter the disc, the more quickly the dough will chill and the easier it will be to roll out. Let chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Once the dough has chilled, leave on the counter for about 10 minutes, to soften slightly before rolling. It should be cold but pliable. Roll out the dough into a 1/4″ thick circle about 2″ diameter larger than the tart pan.
Fit the dough into your 9″ tart pan. Place into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
Preheat oven to 335.
Remove tart from the freezer and bake for 20-25 min until the crust is dry and golden on the bottom. Let cool on a cooling rack.
For the filling:
In medium bowl, add the sugar, zest and salt. Whisk to infuse the sugar with the zest. Add the eggs and yolks and whisk till the sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and whisk to incorporate. Pour into a medium, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pot.
Over medium heat, cook the curd, whisking constantly, until it reaches 175F. Then whisk for a 2-3 more minutes till it thickens a bit more. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, into a medium bowl. Add a couple of cubes of butter at a time and whisk till fully melted. Whisk in the heavy cream. Then pour into slightly cooled crust.
Bake at 375 for 12 min, just till the edge begins to set and look matte. It will still be wobbly in the middle. Place on a cooling rack and let cool in the pan to room temperature.
Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes before topping with whipped cream.
For the topping:
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip till medium-stiff peaks.
Fit a large piping bag with a St. Honore tip and fill with the sweetened whipped cream. Pipe onto the tart covering the whole surface.
Keep the tart in the fridge until ready to serve. The tart is best eaten the same day, otherwise the crust will get soggy.
Serves 8
If you make this tart, I’d love to see it! Share with me on Instagram @pastrywithjenn.