Lemon Velvet Tart Food

LEMON VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Butter and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan.
• Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
• Cream butter in large bowl with mixer.
• Add lemon and orange zest.
• Cream until smooth and light, about 2 minutes.
• Slowly add sugar, blending well and scraping sides of bowl.
• Add eggs, one at a time.
• In a small bowl, combine water, lemon and orange juices.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with the liquids.
• Mix well until smooth.
• Spoon into prepared pan--smoothing the surface.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden on top and springy to the touch.
• Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
• Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
• A thin lemon glaze also works nicely.

LEMON VELVET TART

Steps:

• Fit piecrust into a lightly greased 9 1/2-inch tart pan; press into fluted edges. Fold any excess dough over outside of pan, and pinch to secure to pan. (This will keep piecrust from sliding down pan as it bakes.) Generously prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork, and freeze 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425°. Place piecrust on a baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes or until completely cool. Gently tap excess crust from sides of pan, using a rolling pin.
• Microwave white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.
• Beat softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, and beat until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Add Lemon Curd, and beat until blended.
• Spoon into prepared crust. Smooth filling with a spatula. Chill 4 hours.
• Arrange lemon candies evenly on top of tart. Prop Caramelized Sugar Spirals against lemon candies.
• Note: For testing purposes only, we used Lemon Drops candies.
• Lime Velvet Tart: Substitute Lime Curd for Lemon Curd, and prepare recipe as directed.
• Lemon Mousse Tart: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 4. Beat 2 cups heavy cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into lemon mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared crust, mounding mixture in center of tart. (Mixture will be about 2 inches higher than top edge of crust.) Chill 4 hours. Garnish with lemon curls and fresh raspberries, if desired.
• Lime Mousse Tart: Substitute Lime Curd for Lemon Curd, and proceed with Lemon Mousse Tart recipe as directed.
• Directions for Lemon Curd:.
• Bring sugar, zest, and juice to a boil in a heavy nonaluminum 3 1/2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk about one-fourth hot juice mixture into egg yolks; add egg yolk mixture to remaining hot juice mixture, whisking constantly until well blended.
• Place saucepan over medium heat, and cook, whisking constantly, at least 10 or up to 12 minutes. (Mixture will be a pudding-like thickness.).
• Add butter, in 6 batches, whisking constantly until butter melts and mixture is well blended after each addition. Remove from heat, and pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on warm curd (to prevent a film from forming); chill 3 hours.
• Lime Curd: Substitute lime zest and lime juice for lemon zest and lemon juice. Proceed with recipe as directed.
• Directions for Caramelized Sugar Spirals:.
• Stir together sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water in a 3 1/2-qt. heavy saucepan until blended. Place pan over medium-high heat, and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 305° to 315° or until mixture begins to turn a golden caramel color (about 25 to 30 minutes). Remove from heat, and stir just until color is evenly distributed, using a clean wooden spoon. Carefully place bottom of saucepan into cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove from water, and let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Sprinkle crushed lemon candies over a piece of parchment paper. Carefully spoon about 1 tablespoons hot syrup over candies in a circular motion, creating 3-inch discs. (If syrup gets too thick, place saucepan back over heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until syrup slightly melts. Use a clean spoon to continue making spirals.) Let cool 10 minutes or until completely cool. (Mixture will harden as it cools.).

LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
• Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
• For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

LEMON VELVET TART

Steps:

• Ingredients 1/2 (15-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts 2 (4-oz.) white chocolate bars, chopped 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened Lemon Curd 8 lemon candies Caramelized Sugar Spirals Preparation 1. Fit piecrust into a lightly greased 9 1/2-inch tart pan; press into fluted edges. Fold any excess dough over outside of pan, and pinch to secure to pan. (This will keep piecrust from sliding down pan as it bakes.) Generously prick bottom and sides of piecrust with a fork, and freeze 20 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 425°. Place piecrust on a baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes or until completely cool. Gently tap excess crust from sides of pan, using a rolling pin. 3. Microwave white chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. 4. Beat softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, and beat until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Add Lemon Curd, and beat until blended. 5. Spoon into prepared crust. Smooth filling with a spatula. Chill 4 hours. 6. Arrange lemon candies evenly on top of tart. Prop Caramelized Sugar Spirals against lemon candies. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Lemon Drops candies. Lime Velvet Tart: Substitute Lime Curd for Lemon Curd, and prepare recipe as directed. Lemon Mousse Tart: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 4. Beat 2 cups heavy cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into lemon mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared crust, mounding mixture in center of tart. (Mixture will be about 2 inches higher than top edge of crust.) Chill 4 hours. Garnish with lemon curls and fresh raspberries, if desired. Lime Mousse Tart: Substitute Lime Curd for Lemon Curd, and proceed with Lemon Mousse Tart recipe as directed. Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2008

GREGG'S TANGY LEMON TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, mix the flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until crumbly. Mix in the egg yolks. If the pastry is still too dry, add 1-2 tbsp water until it comes together. Roll into a ball and divide in half (freeze one half for another recipe). Flatten out the pastry with your hands, wrap the dough in cling film, then chill for at least 30 mins. While the pastry is chilling, make the filling. Beat all the ingredients, except for the zest, together. Sieve the mixture, then stir in the zest.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a £1 coin, then lift into a 23cm tart tin. Press down gently on the bottom and sides, then trim off any excess pastry. Stab a few holes in the bottom with a fork and put back in the fridge for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line the tart with foil and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 10 mins, then remove the tart tin from the oven, discard the foil, and bake for another 20 mins until biscuity. When the pastry is ready, remove it from the oven, pour in the lemon mixture and bake again for 30-35 mins until just set. Leave to cool, then remove the tart from the tin and serve at room temperature or chilled.