Who
can resist this Lemon Tart with its buttery shortbread crust, creamy lemon
filling, and swirls of whipped cream? It makes the perfect ending to any
meal with its tart yet sweet lemon flavor that is so light in texture.
.
To make this Lemon Tart we start with its shortbread crust. Most of us
think of shortbread as a cookie, but it makes a great crust that is very
easy to put together. Just place the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in
your food processor and give them a quick whirl until you see a dough
beginning to form. Then simply press the dough into your tart
pan and place the pan in the freezer. We freeze the tart shell because it
needs to be pre baked, only I don't want to fuss and do the usual covering
the crust with parchment paper and filling it with pie weights. When you
freeze the tart shell it makes this step unnecessary. Once the crust is baked,
next comes the lemon filling. What I like about this filling is that it
does not use exotic ingredients and its main ingredient, lemons, are
available year round, at a good price, with consistently good quality. But
besides using the lemon's juice and its zest, this lemon filling contains
cream cheese. Unusual, yes, but it gives this filling a nice creamy
texture that you could describe as almost cheesecake-like. Don't worry,
though, this filling still has that wonderful tart lemony flavor that we
all love. Again, as with the shortbread crust, all that is needed is a
quick whirl of the ingredients in your food processor. The filling is then
poured into the pre baked tart shell and baked until the filling is just
set. Now, you will notice that I have
topped the Lemon Tart with a layer of whipped cream. This is done
both to temper the tartness of the lemon filling and to give a nice
presentation, especially if you take the time to pipe the cream with a
decorative tip.
If you serve this tart the day it is made the
crust will be crisp and the lemon flavor quite refreshing. After it has
been stored in the refrigerator overnight you will notice that both the crust
has softened as has the tart flavor of the lemon filling. Excellent
either way.
Grease with butter,
or a cooking spray, an 8 inch (20
cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Set aside.
FOR CRUST:
In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps.
Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press
the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back
of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with
the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up
while it bakes.) Cover and place
the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will
help prevent the
crust from shrinking while it bakes.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220
degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.
When the pastry
is completely
chilled, place the tart pan on a
larger baking pan and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees
(177 degrees C).
FOR
FILLING:In a food processor or electric mixer place the
cream cheese and process until smooth. Add sugar and process until incorporated.
Add eggs, one at a time, and process until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients and
process until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into pre baked tart shell
and bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until filling is set. Transfer tart to
a wire rack to cool and then cover and refrigerate until well
chilled, at least an hour.
TOPPING:
Put mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for 15 minutes. Beat the whipping cream
and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a
pastry bag fitted with star tip (#4B), and
pipe stars over the entire surface of
the tart.
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