Meyer Lemon Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.
• Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
• In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Sugar Cookie Tartlet Crust:.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, kosher salt, cream and vanilla, until mixture is moist and crumbly.
• Press dough into four 4-inch tart pans (or one 9 or 10 inch tart pan) and press it up the sides, making sure the layer on the bottom is even.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is set and firm at the edges. Cool, then fill with desired filling and bake as that recipe directs.
• Meyer Lemon Curd Tart Filling:.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally.
• In a large bowl, whisk together zest, eggs and egg yolks. When sugar mixture comes to a boil, pour very small amounts down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the mixture. Continue to add only a few tablespoons at a time until all has been incorporated.
• Transfer egg mixture back to sauce pan and return to stove. Cook on medium heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking frequently.
• Remove custard from stove and whisk in butter, adding in one piece at a time.
• When all butter has been added, cool curd for 15 minutes before pouring into prepared tart crusts.
• Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving.

Steps:

• For the candied lemon peels: Set a wire rack into a rimmed baking sheet. Use a vegetable peeler to peel 1/2-inch strips from 3 of the lemons; reserve. Juice all 5 lemons (you should have about 1/2 cup); cover and refrigerate the juice. Put the reserved strips of peel into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the peels and repeat the process 2 more times. Pat the peels completely dry.
• Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the peels and cook until they start to turn translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Use tongs to remove them from the saucepan and lie them flat on the prepared rack. Let dry at room temperature, 6 hours and up to overnight. Toss the peels with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.
• For the shortbread crust: Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch tart pan with cooking spray.
• Add the flour, butter and confectioners' sugar to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces. Add the egg and pulse until the dough comes together. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tart pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack, about 30 minutes.
• For the lemon curd: Meanwhile, whisk the reserved lemon juice, eggs, yolks, milk and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until well combined. Add the butter and stir continuously until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain the curd if any lumps form, then pour into the crust and smooth with a spatula.
• Bake until the curd is set, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack, about 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge to cool completely, about 1 hour more. Decorate with the candied peels and serve cold.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• For the dough:
• Put the butter, sugar, flour, egg yolk and salt in a food processor and pulse for 30 to 60 seconds or until the mixture has a grainy consistency, or what I like to call the "Parmesan cheese" stage. Add half of the water and pulse the food processor 2 to 3 times. The dough should start to come together, add the remaining water if needed. Check the consistency of the dough by clenching a small handful in your fist. If the dough stays together it is the proper consistency. If not, pulse the dough with a little more water. When the dough has reached the proper consistency, dump it out on a clean work surface. Using the heel of your hand, schmear the dough straight forward and roll it back with your fingertips. Repeat this process 1 to 2 more times, dust with flour if needed. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 to 1/4-inch in thickness. Lay the dough in the tart pan. Push the dough into the sides of the tart pan by rolling a small scrap of dough into a ball and pushing it into the dough. Roll over the top edge of the tart pan with the rolling pin to cut the extra dough from the pan and create a crisp edge. Cover the dough with aluminum foil and gently poke the foil into the side edges to fit the pan. This will help to keep the sides of the tart tall and straight as it cooks. Fill the tart shell with the dried beans and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, remove the foil and beans and bake for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the tart shell from the oven and cool. The dough should be golden and crisp.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs and salt and whisk to a homogeneous consistency. Place in saucepan and bring to a medium heat. Cook, whisking, constantly until the mixture has thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, 2 pats at a time until it's incorporated and has a silky consistency.
• Pour the lemon curd into the prepared tart shell and bake in the preheated oven until the lemon curd has set, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.
• To garnish: In a small bowl, mix together blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Serve alongside tart slices.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the crust: Whisk together flour, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the lemon zest in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until dough begins to hold together.
• Stir together 1 tablespoon water and vanilla, then mix into dough. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Using your fingers, press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• Bake tart shell until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the lemon curd: Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk in lemon zest and juice. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time.
• Pour filling into cooled tart shell. Bake until filling is browned, slightly puffed, and set, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

Steps:

• Tart Crust:.
• Cream the butter in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugars and continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and light colored. Add the honey and beat until combined.
• Combine the flours, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl, and add to the butter mixture in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix until the dough is well combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and form into a disk - the flatter the better. Chill until firm, at least an hour and up to two days.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to be 1/8 inch thick. Use either a 3 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough, or cut out rectangles of dough to fit your desired tins. A tip: try to cut out pieces of dough that are as similar in size and shape to the pan as possible (this applies to full-size tarts as well) so that they are easier to maneuver and fit in, and are less likely to warp and tear as you're moving them around.
• Press the dough gently into the tins, prick dough with a fork all over, and let chill for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is firm enough to trim off the excess easily. Buttery doughs like this one always need to be chilled before baking so they bake up evenly, and I also find that it's easier to trim off the dough cleanly when the dough is firmed up. Chill longer if necessary. When I trim off the excess dough, I usually use an offset spatula and run it flat against the top of the tart tin. Scraps can be re-rolled and re-used.
• Bake tart shells until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. You can store them in an airtight container for about a day or freeze them for up to 3 months.
• Blueberry Topping:.
• In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of the blueberries with the sugar. Cook over low heat until all the berries have popped and the juices come out (You can smoosh some of the berries if they won't pop).
• Strain the mixture into a bowl and discard the solids. Add the rest of the blueberries into the syrup and toss to combine.
• Lemon Cream:.
• Create a water bath by placing a saucepan of water over heat to simmer and placing a metal bowl unto the pan so its bottom does not touch the water. Combine the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers and add to the metal bowl. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice.
• Cook the mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly, until the cream reaches 180 degrees and thickens. Keep whisking while the mixture is heating up to prevent the eggs from cooking.
• Once the cream is thickened - you should be able to make tracks in the mixture with your whisk - take the cream off the heat and strain it into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Let the cream rest for a bit until it cools to about 140 degrees.
• Add in the butter pieces a few at the time and combine on high speed. Once all of the butter has been added, let the mixture combine for a few minutes longer to ensure the mixture is perfectly smooth. It is the addition of butter that changes this recipe from a simple lemon curd to a rich, satiny-smooth cream.
• Once the cream is finished pour it into a container and let it chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour before assembly.
• Assembly:.
• To assemble the tarts, spoon some of the lemon cream into the shells and then place about 2 tablespoons of the blueberries on top. Serve soon after assembly.

Steps:

• Make the Meyer lemon curd: Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place a medium heatproof bowl over the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the Meyer lemon juice, sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolks to the bowl and cook, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and foamy. Add the butter, a cube at a time, whisking continuously until melted and incorporated and the curd thickens. If the mixture has curdled, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl.
• Make the meringue. In a small pot, combine the water and sugar and boil over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 180°F (82°C), about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
• Increase the mixer speed to high and slowly pour in the hot sugar syrup. Whip until stiff peaks form, 6-8 minutes.
• Add the Meyer lemon curd to the tart shell and spread in an even layer. Dollop the meringue on top of the curd. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue until light golden brown. Chill the tart in the refrigerator for one hour until ready to serve.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Bring water and granulated sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• Cut out a circle of parchment the size of the saucepan. Add lemons, and cover with parchment. Simmer gently until lemons are soft and translucent, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove lemons from syrup, and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 11-by-14-inch rectangle. Lightly score a 1-inch border around edges using a sharp paring knife. Brush entire surface of dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake pastry until golden, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, whisk heavy cream and vanilla seeds with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Top pastry with lemon slices. Serve with vanilla cream.