Lemon Tart

I love a good lemon tart.

And by good, I mean the lemon is recognizably real lemon, not a chemically made lemony flavor. The. Real. Stuff.  It should be tart and sharp in your mouth.

The crust should be buttery and thin, so as not to take over the show.  But should be sweet enough to counterbalance the tartness of the lemon. (But I'm not showing how to make the crust today...we'll save that for another time!)

This tart intrigued me because of the unusual method of making the filling.  This is not a regular lemon curd.  You use the whole lemon!  That's right...zest, juice, pulp...the works!

Wash the lemon and slice off the ends.  Then cut, lengthwise, into quarters.  Slice each of those quarters into slices 1/8 inch thick. Set aside

In a medium bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch.  Toss the lemon with the sugar mixture.

Put the lemon sugar mixture into a food processor and process until fairly smooth.  Add the egg and egg yolk along with the melted butter (both shown above) and pulse 2 or 3 times, just till combined

Roll out your tart crust and line your pan.  You'll probably want to chill the crust in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 20 minutes before you pour in the filling.

Mmm...looks so yummy already!

Bake until bubbly and there are a few dark spots on the filling and the crust is nice and golden.  Cool completely.

When cool, dust with powdered sugar.  Serve at room temperature.

The family certainly enjoyed this.  More than one person had seconds.  You could smell the buttery crust and lemony tartness both fresh out of the oven and after hours of cooling. 

Store any leftovers (but why would you have any?!) in an airtight container.

Let's eat!

Recipe adapted from Standard Baking Co. Pastries copyright 2012