Lemon Curd Tart

I changed gears this week not only into a new season but also in the kitchen. You might be overwhelmed by the amount of peanut butter or chocolate desserts I love to share with you, so I switched things up and made something a little fruity this week. Spring is a true transition period for all bakers because no longer are we longing for cinnamon apple pies and rich chocolate cakes, although I wouldn't mind either of those right now, but instead the Spring and Summer fruit dessert cravings begin to set in. Key lime pie, strawberry shortcake, peach cobbler...admit it, even if you are a decadent chocolate desert lover you can't help but salivate when you think about those fruity deserts. Since mother nature has decided to Spring ahead and leave all fall and winter desserts in the past, I thought I'd do the same. I dove head first into Spring with a lemon curd tart. I didn't linger around the water and finally dip my toes in by making a chocolate-y dessert with some fruit on the side, but instead I jumped into the deep end and chose a dessert all about fruit. I have been into lemon these days ever since mom came home with a jar of lemon curd. I was curious at first, but then I tasted the curd and was obsessed. So I did some research as to what to do with the curd (the more I type that word, the grosser it sounds) and I came up with a lemon curd tart. 

                              

I chose to make my own curd (even though we had a jar of it in the cabinent waiting to be baked into something delicious) because I wanted to learn how to make it, and what's fun about opening a jar and putting it in a crust?...nothing. I couldn't resist using some fresh squeezed lemons and lemon zest. I wanted a nice lemon punch. The real lemons did just that.Wahbam! Punched. In the mouth...with flavor. 
Luckily,we had a tart pan on hand, which has been laying around our kitchen begging for someone to use it. I have been eyeing it for some time now and was excited when I finally came up with something to do with it. The crust of this tart should not be mistaken for a pie crust; it's much sweeter. It's almost like sugar cookie dough. No complaints. I also added a layer of ground almonds before filling the shell with the curd, which brought down the tartness of the lemon curd with its nutty flavor. Are you picking up what I'm putting down yet? I'm trying to tell you that this tart was delectable. It is the perfect way to bring in spring.


From: Joy of Baking
Lemon Curd:

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest (The yellow outer skin of the lemon)

Sweet Pastry Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup ground almonds

 Directions for Lemon Curd:

1. In a stainless steel bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water (double-boiler), whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. 

 2. Cook, whisking or stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes pale in color and quite thick (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C on a thermometer). This will take about 10 minutes.

 3.  Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. I used my sifter. I'm glad I strained it because there was a lot of egg that got cooked that I wouldn't want in the curd.  

 4.  Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool to room temperature before filling the pastry crust. Can be made and stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

Mine got messy. I somehow managed to get lemon curd all down the sides of my bowl. Typical. 

Directions for Crust:

1. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt.

2.  Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

3. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. 

4. Flatten the pastry into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or just until firm (can place in freezer for about 10-15 minutes.)

5. Once pastry has firmed, lightly grease an 8-9 inch tart pan with removable bottom and press crust onto bottom and sides of pan. Freeze for about 15 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F. Prick pastry crust with fork to prevent any bubbling up.

7. Cook crust for 5 minutes at 400 F then reduce oven to 350 F and cook for 15 minutes or until dry and lightly golden brown. Let cool before filling with curd. 

Preparing Tart:

1. If you wish to add the layer of almonds, pulse almonds in food processor until finely ground. Spread a thin layer (1/2 cup) of ground almond over cooled pastry crust. 

2. Evenly fill crust with the lemon curd, being carful not to mix the curd with the ground almonds. The tart can be served immediately or covered and placed in the refrigerator until serving time. Serve plain or with softly whipped cream and fresh berries. 

I am lacking a good, fancy decoration, but I like to keep it simple sometimes. This tart is riding solo. 

Enjoy!