The Ultimate Makeover Lemon Tart Recipes

THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER: LEMON TART

Steps:

• Rub the butter into the flour until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar, then make a well and use a round-bladed knife to stir in the oil, egg yolk and 1½-2 tbsp cold water until dough comes together. Without overhandling, gather into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out so it fits a 23 x 2cm loose-bottom flan tin. Ease the pastry into the tin, then trim the edges by rolling the rolling pin over the top. Press the pastry into the flutes so it sits very slightly proud of the edge (this extra height helps in case of any shrinkage). Lightly prick the pastry base with a fork, then chill for about 10 mins. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat the eggs and egg whites together with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, then gradually beat in the eggs. If the mix is at all lumpy, simply beat with a wire whisk. Stir in the lemon zest and the juice. Leave to stand so the lemon flavour can develop.
• Sit the chilled pastry case on a baking sheet. Line with baking parchment and baking beans and bake blind for 20 mins until well set. Carefully lift out the beans and paper, then bake the pastry case for another 3-5 mins until the base is cooked and pale golden.
• Strain the lemon mixture through a sieve. Beat the crème fraîche in a medium bowl until smooth, then slowly stir in the lemon mix until well blended. Transfer to a jug, then carefully pour two thirds into the warm pastry case. Place in the oven with the oven shelf half out, pour in the rest of the filling, then carefully slide the shelf back in. Reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Bake for 25-30 mins until barely set with a slight wobble in the middle. Cool for about 1 hr, then serve with a light dusting of icing sugar. Best eaten the same day.

CARAMELIZED LEMON TART

Steps:

• Place sugar and lemon in a large stainless-steel bowl. Push yolks through a sieve into bowl, and whisk to combine.
• Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and stir slowly until mixture thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. Cook 5 minutes longer.
• Remove bowl from heat, and stir in zest. Stir in butter piece by piece until completely melted. Pour into cooled tart shell. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat broiler. Remove outer ring from tart pan, and place pan on a large cookie sheet. Place outer ring upside down on top to protect pastry from burning.
• Sift sugar evenly over top, and place under broiler. Watch carefully; remove tart when top is evenly browned.

THIN LEMON TART

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, lemon zest, and salt. With a fork, blend in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 teaspoons of ice water and toss until incorporated. Add remaining ice water, tossing with a fork until the mixture begins to come together. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 4 x 7-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and poke it all over with a fork. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, stir together 2 tablespoons water and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat, brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the caramel is light amber.
• Arrange the lemon slices down the center of the pastry and pour the hot caramel over the lemon slices. Let the pastry cool. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 4 pieces and serve.

CARAMELIZED LEMON TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface; roll to 1/8 inch thick. Press into bottom and up sides of a 13 3/4-by-4 1/4-by-1-inch rectangular tart pan (pan should have a removable bottom); trim dough along rim. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Line bottom with parchment paper; add pie weights. Bake shell until edges just turn golden, about 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment; bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Put lemon juice and 1 cup sugar into a heatproof bowl. Pass yolks through a fine sieve into bowl; whisk to combine. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thick, about 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; stir in zest. Stir in butter, 1 piece at a time, until it melts. Pour filling into tart shell. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 2 hours.
• Place tart on a baking sheet. Remove sides from pan and place them upside down over sides of tart to prevent edges from burning. Sift 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar evenly over top of filling. Using a small butane kitchen torch, carefully caramelize sugar until it is deep amber. Tart can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day.

THE RIVER CAFE'S LEMON TART

Steps:

• Sweet Pastry: Pulse flour, salt, and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add confectioners' sugar followed by egg yolks and pulse. The mixture will immediately combine and leave the sides of the bowl. Remove pastry, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Tart: Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
• Coarsely grate chilled pastry into a 12-inch loose-bottomed fluted tart pan, then press it evenly onto the sides and base. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Line pastry shell with parchment and fill with raw rice or dried beans (or baking beans). Bake blind 20 minutes. Remove paper and rice, then bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, make filling. Put lemon zest and juice, granulated sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a large saucepan over a very low heat and whisk until eggs have broken up and sugar has dissolved.
• Add half the butter and continue to whisk. At this point the eggs will start to cook, and the mixture will thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add remaining butter and continue whisking until mixture becomes very thick. It is important to keep whisking throughout cooking process to prevent mixture from curdling.
• Remove pan from heat and set it on a cold heatproof surface. Continue to whisk until mixture is lukewarm. Meanwhile, preheat broiler to high.
• Spoon lemon filling into pastry shell and let settle 5 minutes. Broil until top is mottled brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool before serving.