Baked Meyer Lemon Tart
A wonderful lemon tart to vary with the seasons!
Meyer lemons are much sweeter and less acidic than 4-seasons or Zagara lemons: they have spicy, herbaceous notes with more sweetness. Baking the filling gives this tart a slightly rustic touch.
I prefer a sweet shortcrust pastry for this recipe:
- 250g flour
- 40g sugar
- 125g cold butter
- Cold water
For the lemon cream:
- 225g sugar
- 120g melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 3 Meyer lemons + zest
- 1 pinch of salt
For the shortcrust pastry:
Combine sugar, flour, and cold butter cut into pieces (easier to work with). Rub with your fingertips or use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer until you get a sandy texture.
Add cold water gradually, just enough to form a ball of dough. Wrap the dough in plastic film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
For the cream:
Mix the eggs, melted butter, and sugar. Add the zest and juice.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. The easiest way is to do it between two sheets of parchment paper. Line a 26 cm tart ring or mold: butter it generously, then carefully place the dough disk, pressing it well into the corners. Trim off any excess with a knife. Don't forget to prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.
Blind bake the crust. My preferred method uses chickpeas and plastic wrap: place oven-safe plastic wrap on the tart, spread chickpeas evenly over the dough, then close the plastic wrap. Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes with the "chickpea bag" in place. After this time, remove the bag and bake for another 10 minutes.
Then add the lemon cream and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cream should brown and bubble! Enjoy warm if you're in a hurry! ;)
