Meyer Lemon Tart - a little slice of sunshine
A lemon tart with 4 simple ingredients in the filling… lemon juice, sugar, eggs and a touch of cream. This is one of my favorite tarts to make in the spring or summertime. You can either decorate it with fresh berries or thinly sliced lemons on top. I have been known to use the thinly sliced lemons to disguise any possible cracks that may form in the custard when cooling. To avoiding cracking, take the tart out of the oven just before it completely sets. It will continue to cook and set as it cools.
Although the lemon tart or “tarte au citron” is known for being seen in many pastry shops in France, the unique Meyer lemon was brought to the United States in 1908 from China by Frank Meyer, a USDA plant explorer. The tree is thought to be a hybrid of a Eureka or Lisbon lemon and a Mandarin orange from China.
Meyer lemons are sweeter and less acidic than typical grocery store lemons (sour Eureka or Lisbon lemons) and have lovely floral undertones. They also have a thinner rind and yield more juice. I think they are the perfect lemon for a “tarte au citron.” If you want to know more about Meyer lemons, here is a great listen from NPR.
Well suited for growing in pots, I’m growing a small Meyer lemon tree in a sunny corner on my front porch.
10 " Meyer Lemon Tart
5 eggs
2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (may use regular lemon juice)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cream
1 pâte sucrée prebaked (basic sweet pastry dough) recipe below
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Crack the 5 eggs into a large bowl and beat well. Add the lemon juice, sugar and the cream and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into a pre-baked 10" tart shell.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the custard is slightly firm with a bit of a jiggle in the center. Pay close attention at this point because even 30 seconds can make the difference between a perfect tart and one that is cracked. It will continue to firm up when it is out of the oven. If you over cook at this point the tart will crack when it cools. But don't worry, you can always decorate the top with berries!
Let cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate the top with berries or thinly sliced lemons. Cover with plastic wrap and chill before serving.
Sweet Pastry Dough (pâte sucrée)
This recipe makes dough for 2 tarts. Freeze the second one if not using right away.
300 grams flour (2 cups) I like to weigh my flour for more accuracy
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
14 tablespoons unsalted butter - chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water
1 egg white, beaten
In a food processor add the flour, sugar and salt and pulse until combined. Add the chopped butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together.
Put the dough out to a floured surface and make into a large mound and cut in half with a pastry scraper. I like to weigh the halves so that they are equal. Put each half onto a square of wax paper and form into a disk. Wrap with the paper and chill for at least one hour.
If you are freezing at this time, then wrap again in foil and freeze. Let dough defrost in the refrigerator before use.
Roll out dough on a floured surface into a 13" circle. Place dough into a 10" tart pan and fold the overhang inward and press gently into the sides. Do not force or stretch the dough because a thin spot may cause the filling to leak. The dough edges should be a little bit higher than the side of the tart pan to help prevent shrinkage. Prick the bottom of the shell with your fork. Cover the tart with a piece of foil (12"x13") and press into the edges of the shell so that you may fill later with pie weights. Chill for at least a half an hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Completely fill the foil covered shell with pie weights or dried beans. Put the shell into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and remove beans and foil. Brush the inside of the shell with a beaten egg white to prevent leakage from small cracks. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes and bake until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack. The shell is ready to fill.
