Lemon Cream Tart Food

LEMON TART RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the lemon curd: In a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and heavy cream, if using, and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Cook on moderate heat, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick (mine was ready in 10 minutes, but it can take up to 20). If you have a thermometer, it should register 170°F/75°C; otherwise, it should coat the back of a wooden spoon and leave a clear pass if you run your finger through it. The curd will thicken more once cooled.
• Remove from heat and immediately strain mixture through a sieve. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, and whisk until completely melted and incorporated, and mixture is smooth. Take your time with it-the whisking makes for an airy and light texture. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling the tart. (Lemon curd can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, place overnight in the fridge. Whisk the mixture to smoothen it before using.)
• Fill the tart shell with lemon curd, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until chilled. Serve with berries and whipped cream if you like. The tart is rich, so cut your servings small.

LEMON AND LIME CREAM TART

Steps:

• With this particular tart, as it has a moist filling, it's important to egg-wash the uncooked tart shell before adding the filling. This adds a sort of waterproof layer and keeps the pastry crisp and short for longer.
• Whisk together the sugar and eggs in a bowl. When they are well mixed, slowly stir in the cream and the juices. Put the cooked tart shell back into the oven and then pour the filling into it -- I find this reduces spillage. Bake for around 40 to 45 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4 or until the filling is set, but still semi-wobbly in the middle (obviously different ovens will cook at different rate so it is good for you to try this tart a couple of times to gauge exactly when you should take it out of the oven). After cooling for an hour, the semi-wobbly filling will have firmed up to the perfect consistency; soft and smooth. If you cut it before it has had time to rest it will pour out or be extremely gooey.
• You can dust it with a little icing sugar, if you wish. Serve with a huge pile of fresh raspberries or strawberries. Whatever you decide to serve it with should be quite simple so that you let the tart do the talking.

LEMON CREAM TART

Steps:

• 1. For the crust, adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• 2. Put the cookies in a zip-top plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to make fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add the sugar and melted butter. Combine well with a fork. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• 3. Meanwhile, for the filling, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk in the condensed milk and the lemon zest. Very gradually whisk in the lemon juice.
• 4. When the crust is ready, remove it from the oven and pour in the filling. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the filling has puffed slightly and is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• 5. Remove the rim of the pan and set the tart, still on the pan bottom, on a serving platter. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, before serving.
• 6. To serve, dust the tart with confectioners' sugar and decorate with the candied violets, if desired. Serve cold.

LEMON TART

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot liquid into egg yolks; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes longer (mixture will be very thick)., Remove from the heat; stir in butter and lemon zest. Gently stir in lemon juice. Cover and cool completely. , Fold in sour cream. Pour into pastry shell. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting. Garnish with whipped topping.

LEMON CURD CREAM TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• To make crust, combine gingersnap crumbs, butter and sugar in a bowl; stir with a fork to dampen crumbs.
• Pat crumbs on bottom and up sides of a 7-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; bake for 10 minutes or until firm and slightly browned; remove from oven and cool completely.
• To make filling, beat eggs and egg yolks together in a heavy-bottomed pan; add 3/4 cup sugar and beat; add lemon juice and butter.
• Cook lemon mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes or until thickened to the consistency of pudding.
• Remove the curd from the heat.
• If it's lumpy, strain through a wire strainer.
• Place curd in a bowl and completely chill; when curd is cold, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar with whipping cream in a bowl and beat until stiff; fold lemon curd into the whipped cream mixture.
• Gently spoon lemon mixture into the prepared tart crust; chill 1-2 hours.
• Just before serving, wash strawberries and pat dry; remove stems, thinly slice berries lengthwise and arrange over the tart.

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.

TARTEST LEMON TART

Steps:

• Crust: Put the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the yolk is in, process in long pulses-about 10 seconds each-until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing. This is done by smearing the butter pieces into the flour using the heel of your hand-a French technique called "fraisage."
• Flatten dough into a disc and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough, rotating it ⅛ of a turn at a time and rolling until it's just bigger than the tart pan.
• Butter the tart pan. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Using a fork, give the crust a few pricks and freeze for at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Parbake the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against the crust. Add pie weights on top of the foil to keep the crust flat as it bakes. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes.
• The filling: Cut the lemons into small pieces and remove the seeds. Put the lemons and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse, blending and scraping down the sides until you have a smooth mix. Add the remaining filling ingredients and pulse and blend on low speed until the filling is homogeneous. Tap the bowl on the counter several times to "de-bubble" the filling as much as possible.
• Remove the tart shell from the oven and carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Place back in the oven for 8-10 minutes to lightly brown. Remove the tart and patch any cracks with the leftover dough. Cool and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Bake the tart: Stir the filling, then pour it into the tart shell. Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. (Total baking time is 45-50 minutes.) When the tart is properly baked, it should be set, although perhaps still shaky in the center, and most of the top will have formed a light sugary crust. (Don't be alarmed if the tart has bubbled over the edge of the tart-that's okay.) After cooling the tart to room temperature, set the tart on top of a sturdy can so the ring can drop away. Place on a dish and serve.

TART & TANGY LEMON TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in flour. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Refrigerate 15 minutes., Line the unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 18-22 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottom is golden brown, 5-7 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, cream cheese and cornstarch until blended; pour into crust. Bake until filling is set, 18-22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, serve with whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.