Meyer Lemon Curd Tart for New Year's Eve + book #giveaway

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

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!

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STIRRING THE PLOT is available for order: order here.

AS GOUDA AS DEAD, February 2015, available for
preorder here.

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