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Thursday 29 November 2012

Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart 

Shortbread Crust:

Recipe from Joy Of Baking
 
1 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (35 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing sugar)
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Lightly butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 or 9 inch (20-23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. 

In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. 
Add the cold butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. 
Transfer the pastry to the prepared 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.) 

Gently 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 220 degrees C  and place rack in the center of the oven. 
Place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake the crust until golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. It is now ready to be filled.

Lemon Cream
Adapted from Rima of BisousAToi
 
3/4 cup lemon juice
lemon zest (as much as you want)
4 eggs
245g caster sugar
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature

To make the lemon cream, place the sugar in a large bowl.
Finely zest the lemons and add the zest to the sugar. Mix with the tip of your fingers.
Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk well.
Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water without touching, in order to thicken the cream. Stir constantly, it is ready when it coats a wooden spoon.
Remove from the heat and let cool a little before adding the pieces of soft butter tablespoon by tablespoon. Mix well by hand first until the butter is melted, then with a hand mixer to lighten the cream. It can take a few mins.
Once the crust is cold, fill with lemon cream. 
Level it and chill in fridge overnight, before serving.



The shortbread crust still stays crunch and crispy the next day...... I thought I make a blunder when I make the crust because it shrunk and puff up while baking and makes my heart bob, bob, bob....thinking it is a flop again..... nevertheless I just use it.
And I complain to my sister that this shortbread crust is no no good.... but it turns out SO GOOD!!
hee...sorry....!

  
The original recipe for Lemon Cream is using Meyer Lemon but I just use the normal lemon which resulted a little sour.... unless you want to add more sugar in it but I chose not!


And finally I have this beautiful rectangular pan which I have been looking for so long........... and thank you my dearest Sister S for getting this for me......all the way from NZ from my favourite shop... Briscoes... and it is half price!!
I remember I used to go there almost everyday.... oh my....