Name: Classic Lemon Tart
Total time: 4 h 55 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 1 large egg yolk; 1 tablespoon heavy cream; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 177 grams (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour; 75 grams (⅔ cup) confectioners’ sugar; 1/4 teaspoon table salt; 114 grams (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into twenty-four ¾-inch cubes and chilled; 7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large whole eggs; 198 grams (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1/4 cup grated lemon zest plus ⅔ cup juice (4 lemons); Pinch table salt; 57 grams (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces; 43 grams (3 tablespoons) heavy cream

Classic Lemon Tart

By Kay Rentschler

Published on September 23, 2013

Time

1½ hours, plus 3 hours 25 minutes refrigerating, freezing, and cooling

Yield

Serves 8

Featured Comment

"Wonderful lemon flavor, and the texture of the curd was so light, not at all dense or gummy." —Stacey R.

Lemon tart on a cutting board with one slice out and another pre-cut

Ingredients

Crust

1 large egg yolk1 tablespoon heavy cream½ teaspoon vanilla extract177 grams (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour75 grams (⅔ cup) confectioners’ sugar¼ teaspoon table salt114 grams (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into twenty-four ¾-inch cubes and chilled

Lemon Filling

7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large whole eggs198 grams (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar¼ cup grated lemon zest plus ⅔ cup juice (4 lemons)Pinch table salt57 grams (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces43 grams (3 tablespoons) heavy cream

Before You Begin

The egg ingredient in the recipe video is incorrect; it should be 7 large egg yolks and 2 large whole eggs, as written in the ingredient list. You’ll need a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe.If the dough feels too firm when you’re ready to roll it out, let it stand at room temperature for a few minutes. If, on the other hand, the dough becomes soft and sticky while rolling, don’t hesitate to rechill it until it becomes easier to work with. (Better to rechill than to add too much flour, which will damage the delicate, crisp texture of the dough.) Once the lemon curd ingredients have been combined, cook the curd immediately; otherwise it will have a grainy finished texture. To prevent the curd from acquiring a metallic taste, make absolutely sure that all utensils coming into contact with it—bowls, whisk, saucepan, and strainer—are made of non-reactive stainless steel or glass. Since the tart pan has a removable bottom, it is more easily maneuvered when set on a cookie sheet. If your pre-baked tart shell has already cooled, place it in the oven just before you start the curd and heat it until warm, about 5 minutes. Serve the tart with lightly whipped cream, the perfect accompaniment to the rich, intensely lemon filling.

Make Ahead: Dough (at end of step 1) can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Instructions

for the crust

Whisk together 1 large egg yolk, 1 tablespoon heavy cream, and ½ teaspoon vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Pulse 177 grams (1¼ cups) all-purpose flour, 75 grams (⅔ cup) confectioners’ sugar, and ¼ teaspoon table salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses. Scatter 114 grams (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into twenty-four ¾-inch cubes and chilled, over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15 pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 25 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 2 hours, let stand at room temperature until malleable.) Unwrap dough; lightly flour large sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and place dough in center. Roll into a 15-inch circle, then loosen the dough from plastic and flour again. Ease dough over rolling pin and roll it up loosely. Unroll dough on top of tart pan. Lift edges of dough with your hand and ease it into corners of the pan with your other hand. Press dough into fluted sides, forming a distinct seam along pan circumference. Run rolling pin over top of pan to remove excess dough. Freeze dough 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and other rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Place chilled tart shell on baking sheet; line tart shell with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights. Bake on lower rack 30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove foil and weights. Transfer baking sheet with tart shell to upper rack and continue to bake until shell is golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.

for the lemon filling

Whisk 7 large egg yolks and 2 large whole eggs together in medium bowl until combined, about 5 seconds. Add 198 grams (1 cup) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and whisk until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add ¼ cup grated lemon zest, ⅔ cup lemon juice, and pinch salt; whisk until combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium saucepan, add 57 grams (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until curd thickens to thin saucelike consistency and registers 170 degrees, about 5 minutes. Immediately strain curd through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Stir in 43 grams (3 tablespoons) heavy cream; pour curd into warm tart shell immediately.

Bake until filling is shiny and opaque and until the center 3 inches jiggle slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Remove outer metal ring of tart pan, slide thin metal spatula between tart and pan bottom to release, and carefully slide tart onto serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve.