Lemon Tart
Lemon Tart
Ingredients:
Tart Dough
1 cup (148g) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
½ cup (64g) cornstarch, plus 2 Tbsp for rolling out
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 large egg
2 Tbsp water, cold
Lemon Curd
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest
4 egg yolks
½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Pinch kosher salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Yields 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum. On a clean surface or in a bowl, begin to cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of peas. Use your fingers to start to form a shaggy dough. Whisk together the egg and water, and knead until a soft, supple dough is formed.
For ease and to reduce stickiness, I like to roll out my dough between two sheets of parchment paper amply dusted with cornstarch. Cover the dough on both sides with the cornstarch, place between the sheets of parchment, and roll out into a circle a little larger than your tart pan. Carefully peel the top layer of parchment off, and flip the dough over into the tart pan. Remove the second layer of parchment, and adjust the dough into the tart pan. The dough is very soft and forgiving, so if something goes awry you’ll have ample extra scraps to patch it up (and no one will see the bottom and edges except for you).
You’re welcome to chill the dough until you’re ready to bake, or go directly into the oven. When you’re ready, prick the dough with a fork; place a layer of parchment on the tart dough; and use oven weights, dried beans, or another pan of the same size to keep the dough from puffing. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F, remove your weight of choice, and bake an additional 10 minutes to get a bit more golden coloring. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
On the stovetop, add 2-3 inches of water to a pot and bring that to a boil. Find a heatproof bowl (glass ideally) that will fit atop the pot (or if you have a double boiler, use that). Before going on the stove, combine the sugar and lemon zest in the bowl. Use your fingers to mix them together and release the natural oils and aromas from the lemon. This will add so much extra depth to our homemade curd. Delicately separate four egg yolks and add those to the sugar along with the freshly squeezed lemon juice (it HAS to be fresh!). Whisk everything together until homogeneous.
Place the bowl on top of the boiling water. Reduce the temperature to a medium, and whisk constantly for 10-12 minutes. As the heat slowly hits the bowl, it will begin to cook and thicken the curd. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature, as we want to hit 170F and then immediately remove from the heat to avoid breaking. After removing from the heat, immediately whisk in the room temperature softened butter until combined. Whisk for an additional two minutes. Place a layer of plastic wrap on top of the curd, and allow it to cool off. Place in the fridge to begin to set. The longer it sits, the thicker and sturdier it will become.
Once the tart shell is completely cool, feel free to add the curd into the center. It’s okay if the curd hasn’t finished fully setting, as we will chill the entire dessert for at least 1-2 hours (though again, the more time it sets the better). If you cut and serve immediately, the curd will pour out of the shell. Once it’s fully chilled and set, finish with an optional sprinkle of lemon zest, slice, serve, and enjoy!
