From Daryl aka Avery:
It's a celebratory day, so guess what? I'm doing a book giveaway. Check out the details at the end of the blog.
What's in your garden? Or your grocery store? My Meyer's lemon tree is abloom and I'm so excited. I love lemony things. They make me think fresh, new. Perfect for a new year. And a lemony dessert is so light after a deliciously rich meal.
The last time I ever made a "tart" was when I lived in Germany for a few months during college. I remember them being "hard" to make. I was a pretty good cook back then, but my Mutti (German nickname for mother) was so deft, I couldn't keep up with the steps. I didn't think much about tarts after that. I was a good pie maker. Who needed tarts? But they are so pretty! And do you know? Easy! Easier than pie! Kid you not. Why? Because a tart shell is actually pressed into the tart pan. No rolling pin. No shell breaking every which way. This is good news for a gluten-free person, too, because sometimes gluten-free pastry can really break fast!
So to all of you who want an easy recipe for New Year's (or beyond), here's my take on a lemon curd tart. I had a bit of the curd left over. It tasted great just as a pudding dessert!
Enjoy! May your new year be filled with new experiences, new hopes, new dreams. May you think big, give wholeheartedly, and laugh a ton!
MEYER LEMON CURD TART
(Regular and gluten-free
version)
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 stick
cold butter, cut into pea size pieces
1/4 cup
sugar
1 1/4
cup regular or gluten-free flour, plus extra for rolling dough (depending on
your needs!)
1 egg
yolk
Pinch of
salt
2 to 4
tablespoons cold water ( I used 4)
For the curd:
3/4 cup
Meyer lemon juice
3 Meyer
lemons, zested
1 1/3
cups sugar
5 eggs
Pinch of
salt
1 1/2
sticks butter, cut into pats
If desired, for the garnish:
1 pint
blueberries
2
tablespoons sugar
2
tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
Special equipment needed:
1 pound
dried beans or rice
Parchment
paper
10-inch
tart pan
|
|
Directions:
Preheat
the oven to 425 degrees F.
For the dough:
Put the
butter, sugar, flour, egg yolk and salt in a food processor and pulse for 30
to 60 seconds or until the mixture has a grainy consistency. Add half of the
water and pulse the food processor 2 to 3 times. The dough should start to
come together. If desired, add the remaining water. (I did!) Check the
consistency by clenching a small handful in your fist. If the dough stays
together it is the proper consistency. If not, pulse the dough with a little
more water. When the dough has reached the right consistency, set it on
parchment paper that has been dusted with flour (or gluten-free flour,
depending on your needs!) Dust with more flour (GF flour). Top with another
piece of parchment paper. Flatten slightly using the heel of your hand. Put
the entire thing into a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
When ready:
Set the dough, including parchment paper, on a clean work surface.
Roll the dough out to 1/8 to 1/4-inch in thickness between the paper.
  Peel off the parchment paper and roll the dough gently into a tube. Then lay the dough in the tart pan, unrolling as you go. Push the dough into the sides of the tart pan. Roll dough over the top edge of the tart pan, then cut the extra dough from the pan. (You need this extra bit because the dough will shrink when it bakes.) Cover the dough with parchment paper and gently poke holes in the paper. Fill the tart shell with the dried beans or rice and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, remove the parchment and beans/rice and bake for 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove the tart shell from the oven and cool. The dough should be golden and crisp.  
For the curd:
Preheat
the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a
bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar, eggs and salt. Whisk until
combined. Place the mixture in a saucepan and bring to a medium heat. Cook,
whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened. This takes about 12 to
15 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in
the butter, 2 pats at a time until it's incorporated and the mixture is a
silky consistency.
Pour
the lemon curd into the prepared tart shell and bake in the preheated oven
until the lemon curd has set, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely before
cutting.
   
If desired, garnish
with blueberries tossed with sugar and lemon juice.
Book giveaway: To celebrate the launch of AS GOUDA AS DEAD, which comes out in a month...yes, a month...I'm offering a giveaway every Wednesday from now until the launch date.
Today: just tell me whether you've read any of the books by authors on our blog. To do so, hit "comments" to leave a comment, and leave your email (however cryptically) so I can contact you if you win! Good luck.
| |
Savor the mystery!
******************
Friend Avery on Facebook
Follow Daryl on Twitter
Follow Avery on Twitter
Follow both of us on Pinterest
Check out our website.
If you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list
so you can learn about upcoming events, releases, and contests!
103 comments: