Lemon tart

It's been a long time since I last ate a lemon tart, so I decided to make one to indulge. I reused an old recipe that I had made before, just to see if the recipe was still as good as I remembered.

Lemon tart

I've often lament the fact that I've never seen Meyer lemons on sale in sunny Singapore ever. I wonder if they are actually available at all here! If anyone's here and seen them for sale, would you mind just letting me know where and when are they on sale?? Reading on the blogosphere about people talking about how
sweet and bright the Meyer lemons taste makes me desperately crave some to try for myself...

The lemon cream was just as good as I remembered, I upped the sugar by just a little as I was using regular lemons and not Meyer lemons as the recipe stated and the sweetness level was just right. I also upped the almond flour used by just a little to see if the almond taste is more pronounced. Alas, I didn't really like the crust as much. I thought that the crust was crunchier in my memory, perhaps the previous time I roll it out thinner cos I made tartlets? Whatever the case, I might experiment using the lemon cream for another tart crust in future. Lemon cream recipe's a keeper!

I had some leftover ginger crumble topping from here, so I sprinkled some over the lemon tart slices when I was eating. I didn't cover the whole tart itself cos my Sis wasn't a fan of the gingery crumble and if I did that she'll probably grumble and whine about the "gingery taste". Haha.

Lemon tart slice topped with ginger crumble topping

Lemon tart (adapted from Bea at La Tartine Gourmande)

Crust
220g all-purpose flour
1 egg
pinch of salt
50g almond flour
150g unsalted butter, soft
85g confectioner’s sugar

To prepare the crust, sift the flour in a big bowl. Add the salt in the middle.

Add the soft butter and make a crumble with the dough, using the tips of your fingers.

Make a hole in the middle and add the confectioner’s sugar and almond flour. Then add the egg, working the dough with the tips of your fingers still. Make a ball with it and place it in plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours, if possible.

Roll dough and place it in greased tart mold. Make little holes with a fork and chill in fridge for at least an hour. Cover with aluminium foil. Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C for about 25-30 mins.

Remove the paper and continue to cook for another 10 to 25 mins till crust is brown. (oven timings may differ, Bea used a shorter cooking time, I had to bake mine longer cos it was one big tart)

Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Lemon Cream
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.