Ingredients
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For the Lemon Curd
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125ml/ ½cup Lemon Juice
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1tbsp Lemon zestfrom 1 lemon
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4 medium Eggs
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3 egg yolk
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150g/ 2/3 cup Sugar
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50g/ 2oz Butter
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For the Meringue
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3 Egg whitessaved from the 3 yolks we used for the lemon curd
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110g/ ½ cup granulated sugar
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1 tbsp Corn Flour
Directions
I have a weakness for a Lemon tart I can’t resist it, there is something in the sharp lemon flavor combined with the crusty sweet tart dough that makes me want to take another bite.
Winter time is perfect for a lemon tart, citrus fruits are at the peak of their flavor, it’s a great French winter tart and it’s almost a tradition in our house to make it in this season.
Making the Lemon Tart crust
I make the crust a day in advance and keep it in the fridge overnight so by the time i’m making the lemon curd I only need to bake the crust and add the lemon filling and we’re all set.
Making the tart crust, pâte sucrée, is easy and I have discussed this in length in one of my earlier posts.
when making the crust it’s important to keep the sweet tart dough basics:
- don’t overwork the dough, we need it crumbly and crunchy
- let the dough rest in the fridge before flattening it and one more rest after its in the tart baking pan
- Use “blind baking” with weight laid on the tart dough for it to keep its shape.
Making the Lemon Curd
I want a silky smooth lemony paste that will hold its shape and not break or ooze out of the tart.
The multiple egg (and egg yolks) are cooked with the water and eggs will create a stable custard which will be mixed later on with butter for extra smooth and will give the lemon curd stability once refrigerated.
it’s important not to break the curd while on heat and remove when it’s getting thicker, the custard should leave a ribbon when lifting the whisk.
Immediately add the butter after the lemon curd is off the heat.
Making the Meringue
The meringue consist of egg whites (the ones left from the egg yolks used for the lemon curd), corn starch and sugar.
We whisk it in a stand mixer until reaches stiff peaks and use a piping bag to decorate the lemon tart.
In order to cook the meringue we can either use an oven set on the upper grilling option for a few minutes (beware, it burns very fast so you need to stay close bye), or with a blowtorch.
Steps
1
Done
10 minutes
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Making the Lemon CurdIn a medium heat proof bowl, place the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, full eggs and egg yolks. |
2
Done
5 minutes
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preparing the meringuePlace the egg whites in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. |
3
Done
7 minutes
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assembling the lemon tartSpread the lemon curd on the empty tart shell evenly. |