I anxiously scanned the Weather Network hourly weather report for the fifth time. No change. The forecast was for icy rain followed by up to twenty cm of snow. The pending arrival of yet another winter storm that would leave mounds of impassable snow in its wake was disconcerting. But the realization that our planned visit to Detroit to spend time with the family would have to be postponed, left me inconsolable. That’s when I remembered a bag of sunny Meyer lemons stashed in the refrigerator. When life gives you lemons, make lemon tart.
French Riviera Lemon Tart
This recipe for French Riviera Lemon Tart, (was there ever a more evocative title for a recipe prepared while sleet pinged against the kitchen window) is by beloved cookbook author and food writer Dorie Greenspan, published in her latest outstanding cookbook, Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple. If you are pie-crust-phobic, put your fears to rest. This sweet and tender pie crust is mixed together in a bowl, using just a fork or your hands. The crust is pressed into the tart pan with your fingers and baked. While the crust is baking, the silky, sweet-tart lemon filling is cooked to thick and glossy perfection in just five minutes. When poured into the crust, it sets to a satiny smooth finish worthy of the finest French pâtisserie. Both the tart and crust have olive oil in them which adds a rich, luscious mouth-feel in every bite. And I’m happy to report that this dessert was a resounding success with the family in Detroit! Armed with fervent prayers and a lot of windshield wiper fluid, we enjoyed a lovely weekend together.
Assemble your ingredients. Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 F. Do not use convection for this recipe. Place a 9-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom and fluted sides) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray the tart pan with cooking spray. Zest one lemon. Set aside the zest. Juice 4 to 5 lemons in order to obtain 2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice. I made this tart with both Meyer lemons and regular lemons. The results were almost identical so use whatever you find in the store near you. Set the juice aside.
Whisk 2 tablespoons of flour, the confectioner’s sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the pieces of butter or margarine and using your fingers, press and squeeze the butter/margarine into the flour until it is well blended. Add the rest of the flour and stir the mixture with a fork or your hand. Combine the olive oil and the egg yolk and pour the mixture into the flour. Using your hand, press and gently knead the ingredients together until a dough forms. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. It should be light golden in color. Transfer the crust still on a baking sheet to a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.
Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice together in a medium saucepan. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk to blend. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk without stopping, making sure that the whisk is covering the entire bottom of the pan and the mixture does not boil. After 5-7 minutes, the mixture will have lightened in color and thickened. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should measure 170 F. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk for a minute longer. Add the butter or margarine bit by bit until each piece is incorporated before adding the next piece. Whisk in the olive oil until it is thoroughly mixed into the lemon filling. Pour the filling through a single mesh sieve into the tart crust. (The sieve will capture any stray bits of scrambled egg. It happens to everyone). If you don’t have a sieve just pour the filling into the crust straight from the pot. Refrigerate the tart for at least 1 hour but preferably 4 hours, UNCOVERED. If you cover the tart before the filling sets you will disturb the glossy finish. (This is the voice of experience speaking.). Serve with whip cream or fresh fruit if you like. The tart is best within a day or two of baking it.
French Riviera Lemon Tart
Glossy sweet-tart lemon filling showcased in a tender cookie-like crust.
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 cup (136 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons or 2 ounces) unsalted butter or stick margarine, at room temperature, cut into 6-8 small pieces
- 3 1/2 tablespoons MILD olive oil
- 1 large egg yolk
- Filling
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 4-5 large lemons)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons or 2 ounces) unsalted butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons MILD olive oil
Instructions
Crust
Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees. Do not use convection for this recipe. Place a 9-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom and fluted sides) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray the tart pan with cooking spray. Zest one lemon. Set aside the zest. Juice 4 to 5 lemons in order to obtain 2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice.
Whisk 2 tablespoons of flour, all the confectioner's sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Drop in the pieces of butter or margarine and using your fingers, press and squeeze the butter/margarine into the flour mixture until it is well blended. Add the rest of the flour and stir the mixture with a fork or your hand.
Combine the olive oil and the egg yolk and pour the mixture into the flour. Using your hand, press and gently knead the ingredients together until a dough forms. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. It should be light golden in color. Transfer the crust still on a baking sheet to a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.
Filling
Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a medium saucepan. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk to blend. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk without stopping, making sure that the whisk is covering the entire bottom of the pan and the mixture does not boil. After 5-7 minutes, the mixture will have lightened in color and thickened. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should measure 170 F.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk for a minute longer. Add the butter or margarine bit by bit until each piece is incorporated before adding the next piece. Whisk in the olive oil until it is thoroughly mixed into the lemon filling. Pour the filling through a single mesh sieve into the tart crust. (The sieve will capture any stray bits of scrambled egg. It happens to everyone). If you don't have a sieve just pour the filling into the crust straight from the pot.
Refrigerate the tart for at least 1 hour but preferably 4 hours, UNCOVERED. If you cover the tart before the filling sets, you will disturb the glossy finish.
Notes
Serve with whip cream or fresh fruit if you like. The tart is best within a day or two of baking it.
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