Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

I love making this Meyer Lemon Tart for potlucks or when we have friends and family over.  You can make most of it the day before and just top the tarte with whipped cream or meringue right before serving.  I usually make the crust and the lemon curd the day before.  The day I am going to serve the Lemon Tart, I will bake the crust, cool the crust, fill the tart with lemon curd and top it.

It also is great to serve any time: for brunch with coffee or an elegant dinner part.  This tart is always a hit!

This is the Meyer Lemon Tart with an Italian Meringue Topping

Meyer lemon Tart

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of lemon curd (Here is the Meyer Lemon Curd Recipe)
• Topping: Whipped Cream, drizzle of melted white chocolate, or Italian Meringue (Recipe below)
• 1 batch of shortbread crust (see recipe below)

Shortbread Crust

• 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Crust Directions: Butter or lightly spray with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray, an 8 – 9 inch (20 – 23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom or you can use 2 of the longer fluted pans that I have shown.

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

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 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

When the pastry is completely chilled, place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

Assemble the Tart:

When the crust has cooled, you can push the crust out of the baking dish and put it on your serving platter.  Then evenly fill the crust(s) with your lemon curd.

When you are ready to serve, you can top your tarte with a variety of things like: whipped cream, meringue, powdered sugar, or drizzle melted white chocolate on it.

Here is the Meyer lemon Tart with a dollop of whipped cream.

Italian Meringue

Ingredients

• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions
In a small pot over low heat, combine sugar and water until melted. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely or brush down the sugar with a wet pastry brush. Do not stir.

Increase the heat and boil to soft-ball stage (between235 to 240 degrees). Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Brush down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush so that sugar crystalswon’t form around the side of the pot.

In a very clean bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy.

Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.

With the mixer running on medium speed, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over the egg whites. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.

Spread the meringue over a hot cake or pie, and bake as directed.

Here is the Meyer lemon Tart with an Italian Meringue Topping.