It's that time of year when the weather gets very hot and all I crave is fruity desserts. One of my favorite desserts to make this time of year is most definitely my Lemon Curd Tart recipe. It sounds fancy and something that a pasty chef would make but you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make at home. The best part is, all ingredients are common pantry items that you might already have.
Crust:
- 10 Tbs butter, cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Lemon curd filling:
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 4 juiced lemons)
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 6 Tbs butter, room temperature
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, butter, and vanilla extract and process until the mixture forms a ball. You can also use your hands to work the butter and incorporate it with the rest of the ingredients until a ball of hard dough forms. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until it is just slightly brown. Set aside to cool.
Lemon curd:
1. Remove the zest of 1 lemon.
2. In a mixing bowl, add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and cornstarch. Mix until combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), whisking constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat.
4. Add butter one Tbs at a time, mixing until melted completely. Let it cool to room temperature.
5. When both crust and curd are at room temperature, add the lemon curd in the crust and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
6. Serve cold.