This lemon tart recipe is still a favorite. In fact, my daughter now makes it. It's originally from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours.
When I First Made The Lemon Tart
I first made this for a food blogger picnic back in Austin. As much as everyone likes a good lemon tart, this one had a lot of competition. There were sugar cookies shaped like Texas, a strawberry tart, lots of beautifully decorated and interestingly flavored cupcakes, a blackberry cobbler, chocolate cookies, beignets from Cissi’s Market, a cake, MORE cupcakes and there were definitely others that appeared after I’d left.
Lemon Tart Notes
Dorie’s tart was smooth and lemony and very simple to prepare. It’s also great because it can be made ahead, but I’m not sure I’d make it ahead for a potluck because the tart isn’t ideal for being carried. Luckily, I had an insulated bag and some ice packs and the tart made it to the party okay, but this seems better for a party at home where you can garnish each serving with fresh, cold fruit. People seemed to like it, but I didn’t go around taking a survey so it’s hard to say. Todd liked it and was bummed he had to give it up for the potluck. I'm inspired to make more tarts!
Here’s a photo of it before I packed it up. Next time I will garnish it with fresh fruit and will probably serve it at home rather than at a potluck. But it was definitely good.
Recipe
Lemon Cream Filling for Lemon Tart
Equipment
- 1 Deep fry candy thermometer I use a Taylor deep fry candy thermometer.
- 1 blender or food processor
- 1 Strainer or sieve
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 21 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 9-inch baked tart shell
Instructions
- Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan or bottom of a double boiler.
- Put the sugar and zest in a large metal bowl that can fit over the pan or in the top of the boiler.
- Off heat, work the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is lemony and aromatic.
- Whisk in the eggs followed by the lemon juice.
- Set your bowl over the water so that it's not touching or better yet, just put the double boiler on top.
- Set your deep fry thermometer in the mixture (or use an instant read) and whisk mixture constantly over simmering water until the thermometer reads 180°F. This could take up to 10 minutes.
- At 180°F, pull the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of a blender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the cream rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140°F, about 10 minutes.
- Turn the blender to high and, with the machine going, add about 5 pieces of butter at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed while you’re incorporating the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going to get an airy texture. Work in bursts if your machine tends to overheat.
- Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal.
- Chill the cream for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to use, whisk the cream.
Judy says
Anna, I just noticed your Breezy Lemon-Berry Dessert was printed in the Taste of Home Bonus book. Woo Hoo!!!!
Mary Ann says
Lemon sounds perfectly tempting this week, Anna.
aTxVegn says
Hi, Anna! It was great to finally meet you at the potluck. Since I'm always on the lookout for great lemony desserts to bake for my mom, I had to take a taste of this tart filling and it was outstanding. She will love it, and I will love getting a mini workout whisking away at the stovetop.
lisaiscooking says
Hi Anna,
It was nice to meet you on Sunday, and your lemon tart was fantastic! Very nice balance of sweet and tart. Did you get any answers about the two blondie versions?
-Lisa
Jennifer says
Mm... that chicken sounds delicious.
And I've made that tart before and it was good, but I like Dorie's Tartest Lemon Tart more, which is surprising as I'm not a huge lemon dessert-lover. (It's the one that uses the whole lemon, pith and all)
Natanya says
Anna - It was so great to meet you and your lovely family yesterday. Thank you so much for making the tart and then sharing it with us. It was the perfect combination of lemon and cream and I'm looking forward to trying it myself.
Elyse says
Sounds like such a great time, Anna! I've never heard of whole boneless chickens either. Wow, how does such a thing exist, and why don't I know where to find them? And this tart, of course, looks spectacular!
Louise says
Here you go -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3aTtJUjnNU
janet says
Your tart is making my mouth water...bet it was very good! I bought Dorie's book when you first starting blogging about it. Wonderful recipe book...thanks. Hmmm...having ladies for lunch this week...the tart would be perfect, wouldn't it? Thanks!
Anna says
Katrina, I feel like trying another tart now. Dorie's was so good. I have a bunch of tart recipes that I just haven't made lately, including a great strawberry rhubarb tart recipe from Once Upon a Tart.
Emily, you've probably memorized that recipe by now.
Laurie and Louise, turducken sounds funny, but what I really need to search for are the boneless whole chickens.
Gina, that's crazy! Now if only I'd made the car bomb cupcakes. Those were Emma's favorite and I think Addie, the food editor here in Austin, liked them too. Those were made by Jenii.
http://misohungrynow.blogspot.com/2009/05/irish-carbombs-go-boom.html
Louise (and Sue)
About the blondie taste test, I cut the blondies into triangles and squares. People who I asked said they liked the squares better. The squares were CI. One thing I've learned is people I know (and myself) are leaning towards blondies made with melted butter rather than creamed.
Louise says
The tart looks great and I love lemon. I hope you got some opinions on the blondies and blog about the results today. And, I'll have to dig out some photos of our Christmas dinners. We've been having turducken from Heberts the last several years. http://www.hebertsmeats.com They're fantastic.
Gina says
Man, we must be on the same wavelength! I made the culturally-insensitive-but yummy "Irish Car Bomb" cupcakes over spring break, and I made that SINFUL lemon tart from Dorie for Easter! YUM!!
Here's what mine looked like:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UMEpTib9nWY/SfaOeqpQ7jI/AAAAAAAADJM/xc_RuXpQZko/s1600-h/lemontartslice.JPG
Sue says
The tart looks so smooth! I like lemon desserts and don't make them enough. I wish I had more excuses to make desserts.
Did you get any feedback on your blondies? It sounds like there were lots of desserts.
Laurie says
Turducken is fantastic.............
Emily L. says
Lemon desserts are my absolute favorite. Also: made my zillionth batch of pumpkin-chocolate-chip cookies. They have changed my life. For the Wonderful!
Katrina says
Looks GREAT. After Dorie's yummy tartest tart we just did for TWD, that was de-lish, I'll have to try this one, too, sometime!