Tart is a very popular dessert to make, every single season. Looks pretty and at the same time, tasty. Do not be deceived by how beautiful a tart looks. The processes involved in making one is relatively easy.
Tarts used to faze me. I mean how much confidence does one need to bake a tart? A donut, not much. Pancakes? Anyone can make them. (I’ve even written a post on 5 ways to eat pancakes) Never thought that a tart can be easy to make till I tried making one. And yes, you can definitely get away with some rough edges or cracks in the tart crust. The key is in the filling. Use the filling to plaster over cracks in the middle of the tart.
There are many varieties of tarts. Being a person who fancies both sweet and sour, I have decided to go for a candied lemon tart. The lemon curd’s zesty taste is balanced by the sweetness of the layer of sugar coating the sliced lemon slices. Paired with a buttery crust, just a chunk of it melting in your mouth will satiate your appetite. Don’t mistake lemon with lemongrass as lemongrass have a different kind of taste.
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, in the form of this tart.
-Unknown (tart lover maybe?)
Recipe: Candied Lemon Tart
Lemon Curd Filling
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
- 3 tbps heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
To make the lemon curd:
Use a heatproof bowl. Put the eggs, followed by sugar, lemon zest and juice. And also heavy cream. Mix to combine. Simmer water in a saucepan. Place bowl of mixture over the saucepan (bain-marie). Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens. The curd should leave a clear pass if you run your finger through it.
When removing the curd from the heat it will thicken even more.
Strain the mixture through a sieve. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, and mix until completely melted. The mixture should be airy and light texture. Let mixture cool at room temperature before filling the tart.
Note: You can use a ready-made tart or make a firm dough.
To make the dough:
- 1 1/4 cups (180 g) flour
- 1/2 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g) cold butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In a kitchen robot, add flour, sugar, and salt until combined. After that, add butter, which has been placed at room temperature, and mix the ingredients. The dough must be crumbly. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix again until the dough starts to clump together. The dough should be observed to be crumbly and have large clumps.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
For easy rolling put the dough on the counter to soften. Roll the dough flat, forming a circle of diameter 11-inch. Place flattened dough gently into a 9-inch tart pan. Use a sharp knife to cut off the edges of the dough. With plastic wrap cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator for 20-30 min.
Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
Press parchment paper tightly against the crust, covering the edges to prevent them from burning. Fill with pie weights (uncooked beans or rice). Spread them well on the tart. Why pie weights? This is to prevent the tart crust from having shrinkage or air pockets.
Bake crust for 20 minutes. Remove the dough crust to a wire rack. Do not forget to remove the weights.
To make the candied lemon slices:
- 2 small lemons
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup water
Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Clean from seeds. Stir together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large skillet. Leave until the sugar is melted. Add slices of lemon, and simmer gently. The lemon slices are ready when they become slightly translucent and rinds are softened. Remove from heat. Place the lemon slices in a single layer on a wire rack. They should be completely cooled.
Assembling Candied Lemon Tart
Pour the curd on the crust of the tart and leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. When the tart is completely cooled you can sprinkle with coconut shavings, powdered sugar, and put the candied lemon slices.
You can serve with fresh fruits and whipped cream.
Try it. Make it for your guests. Feed whoever you want to. They will surely love you for this. And then, don’t forget to comment here and share with me your experience. =)
