Tartelettes Au Citron Individual Lemon Tarts Recipes

CLASSIC FRENCH LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the « pâte sucrée » crust.
• In large mixing bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract, almond flour and egg, and mix until homogeneous. Add the all-purpose flour and salt, and mix until just incorporated and the dough comes together into a ball. Wrap in a plastic film and place in the fridge for 2 hours, minimum.
• Pre-heat your oven to 350F (180C).
• Take the pâte sucrée out of the fridge, place it between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Unpeel the top sheet of parchment paper, transfer the crust to a 9-inch tart pan (trim the sides if needed) and poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Chill it again for 30 minutes. Line the top of the crust with foil or parchment paper and place pie weights or dried beans to keep the pie crust from puffing when baking.
• Bake the pâte sucrée for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper filled with weights and bake for 10 more minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden.
• Set the tart shell aside to cool (still in the dish). Leave your oven on at 350F/180C.
• In the meantime, make the lemon filling.
• Grab a fine-mesh strainer before you start and have it ready within arm's reach.
• In a medium saucepan (no heat yet), whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, salt, egg yolks and eggs. Add the cubed butter and turn the heat to medium. Whisk slowly until the butter is all melted. Continue whisking steadily for several minutes until the mixture thickens to a thin custard consistency.
• Immediately pass the lemon filling through the fine mesh strainer, directly into the tart shell. Using an offset spatula (or back of a large spoon), smooth out the top of the filling. Bake the tart for 5 minutes, until the filling has slightly set and turned slightly deeper in color.
• Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy slightly warm or chilled.

TARTELETTES AU CITRON (INDIVIDUAL LEMON TARTS)

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry shells. On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out the dough to a thickness of one-eighth inch. Fit the pastry into six to eight four-inch tart tins. With your fingertips, carefully press the pastry into the pan and up the side, trying not to stretch it. Trim the overhang, leaving about a half-inch edge. Tuck this overhang inside the pan, pressing gently against the side to create a sturdy, double-sided shell. If you build the pastry a bit higher than the height of the pan, you have less problem with shrinkage. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Line the shells carefully with heavy-duty foil, pressing well into the edges so the pastry does not shrink while baking. Tuck the foil into the bottom of the tart shells. Prick the pastry through the foil with the tines of a fork. Fill with weights of rice or beans - making sure you get all the way into the edges - to prevent shrinkage.
• Place the filled tins on a baking sheet and bake just until the pastry begins to brown around the edges and seems firm enough to stand up by itself, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and continue baking until evenly light brown, about 10 to 15 more minutes. Watch the pastry carefully, for ovens vary and pastry can brown very quickly. Cool completely, for at least 15 minutes, before filling.
• Prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, sugar and cream and whisk until well blended. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition. Strain the lemon cream through a sieve to remove any portions of yolk or impurities.
• Pour the lemon cream into the prepared tartlet shells, place them on a baking sheet and bake just until the lemon cream is firm in the center, about five more minutes. (Alternatively, to form a single large tart, the dough can be rolled into a 12-inch circle to fit a 10 1/2-inch tart shell. Continue as directed for the individual tarts, but increase baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.)

CLASSIC FRENCH TARTE AU CITRON - FRESH LEMON TART

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry and line a 24cm to 26cm tart or quiche dish. Bake blind in a pre-heated oven 180°C/350F/gas 4, for about 7-10 mins, or until lightly golden brown and slightly crisp.
• Whisk the lemon juice, crème fraiche, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Add the grated lemon rind & mix well.
• Carefully pour the mixture into the pastry case and bake for 40 minutes or so, until the custard has set but is still slightly wobbly. Sprinkle liberally with icing sugar.
• Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with a drizzle of cassis and a sprig of mint. You can also serve this with a bowl of creme fraiche or cream.