This is the perfect dessert to serve in spring — it looks lovely and tastes delicious!
Classic Lemon Tart
Crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest, about 1 lemon
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
Filling
2 eggs
5 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup 35 per cent cream
2/3 cup lemon juice, about 3 lemons
Icing sugar for dusting
POSITION rack in bottom of oven. Preheat to 350F. Combine flour with sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and whirl until mixed. Add butter and egg yolk. Whirl just until crumbs start to clump together, about 1 min. Transfer dough to centre of a 9-in. tart pan with 1 1/8-in. sides and a removable bottom. Press dough from middle of pan to edges. Using fingertips, press dough up edges of pan until even with rim. Line pastry with a large sheet of parchment paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights to hold pastry in place while it bakes. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake on bottom rack 25 min.
WHISK eggs and egg yolks with sugar in a large bowl until mixed. Whisk in cream, then lemon juice. After crust has baked 25 min, remove parchment and beans. Pour filling through a sieve into crust. Return tart (on baking sheet) to bottom rack and bake until edges of filling start to bubble and centre looks smooth, 30 min. Filling should jiggle a bit when pan is lightly shaken. Cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to set filling. To unmold tart, rest pan on an overturned bowl and let rim slip away from base. Loosen tart from the base with a thin metal spatula. Sift icing sugar overtop just before serving. Will keep well, refrigerated, up to 2 days.
Save the Egg Whites! Freeze in ice-cube trays, then transfer to a plastic bag for up to 1 month. Or turn to page 196 for easy egg-white recipes.
Courtesy Claire Tansey
Chatelaine.com