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Recipe Detail Page
Lemon Sugar Tart
Spring 2007
This tart is very refreshing after a meal of curry or roast lamb. Pastry chefs use tapioca flour to make high-acid fillings (like this one) silky smooth. Variously labeled tapioca flour or tapioca starch, this thickener can be found in health food stores and keeps for months when stored air-tight at room temperature or indefinitely in the freezer.
Serves 8
Pastry
4 to 5 tbsp (60 to 75 mL) ice-cold water
¼ cup (50 mL) blanched slivered almonds
1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
½ cup (125 mL) cold unsalted butter (1 stick)
Filling
3 eggs
2 to 3 lemons
1½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) tapioca flour or tapioca starch
¼ cup (50 mL) butter, melted
Garnish
Whipping cream and fresh berries
1. Measure water and place measuring cup in freezer to chill. Chop almonds finely in food processor. Add flour and salt; pulse a few times to combine. Cut butter into pieces. Add to flour mixture; pulse until butter pieces are about the size of large rice grains.
2. Turn flour mixture into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 4 tbsp (60 mL) of chilled water. Use hands to quickly and very firmly press dough into a ball that just holds together. Add additional tbsp (15 mL) water only if needed to hold together. Flatten dough ball into a disc on plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Roll out dough inside 2 large pieces of waxed paper or on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch (30-cm) round. Lift and fit into a 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan with sides about 1½-inches (4-cm) high. Force dough up to very top plus ½-inch (1-cm) above pan sides. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
5. Line tart shell with foil; add pie weights, dry beans or even dollar coins to weight shell to prevent buckling. Bake 20 minutes; remove foil
and weights. Continue baking another 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a rack.
6. Place eggs in a small bowl; cover with hot tap water. Let warm while continuing. Finely zest 1 lemon; squeeze lemons for a total of ½ cup (125 mL) juice. Stir sugar with tapioca. Drain eggs; break into a medium bowl. Beat eggs briefly with a whisk until smooth and lemon coloured. Beat in lemon juice, sugar mixture and melted butter until just smooth. Stir in zest. Let rest at room temperature while continuing.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF (160ºC).
8. Pour lemon mixture into cooled tart shell. Place on centre rack of oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set and barely wiggly when shaken. Cool on a rack. Serve with a dollop of unsweetened whipping cream garnished with additional lemon zest and fresh berries.
Serves 8
