Medium
10 to 12
Published 2014
Summer of 2012, after finishing the testing for all of the recipes for this book, I visited the Araxi restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, where I encountered this amazing lemon tart. I was beyond delighted when the restaurant sent the recipe, but I decided to modify it to work in a tart pan that the average person would be likely to have rather than in the 10 by
The silky-smooth lemon filling contains only eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and cream. I had never seen a recipe like this before and was intrigued. To my amazement, when I compared it with my Lemon Pucker Pie in
See recipe.
Flatten the dough into a 6 inch disc. Wrap it well and refrigerate it for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to roll or pat into the pan. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months. If chilled for more than 30 minutes, it can take as long as 40 minutes at room temperature to become malleable enough to roll.
Set the dough between lightly floured large sheets of plastic wrap. Roll it evenly into a ⅛ inch thick disc larger than 12 inches in diameter. While rolling the dough, sprinkle it with a little more flour on each side as needed and if the dough softens significantly, slip it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate it until firm (see Notes). From time to time, flip the dough with the plastic wrap and lift off and flatten out the plastic wrap as necessary to make sure it does not wrinkle into the dough.
Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and use the expandable flan ring, or a pizza wheel or small sharp knife with the cardboard template as a guide, to cut a 12 inch disc. If using the pizza wheel or knife, take care not to cut through the bottom plastic wrap. (Excess dough can be frozen for several months.) If the dough softens after cutting, refrigerate it until firm. It will not drape over the pan unless it is flexible, so if it becomes too rigid in the refrigerator, let it sit and soften for a few minutes.
Invert the 8 inch cake pan onto a work surface. Use the bottom sheet of plastic wrap to lift the dough and set it, plastic side down, over the 8 inch cake pan (see Lemon and Cranberry Tart Tart). Smooth down the sides so they will fit into the tart pan and place the removable bottom of the tart pan on top. Then carefully place the fluted ring, upside down, on top. Place a flat plate, cardboard round, or wire rack over the tart pan to keep it from separating. Invert the pans and remove the cake pan. Carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Gently ease the dough down to reach the bottom and sides of the pan. If the dough breaks when transferring it into the pan, patch and press it into the pan with your fingers.
Fold in the excess dough to halfway down the sides of the tart pan. Press it against the sides so that it extends
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it or freeze it for a minimum of 1 hour.
Thirty minutes or longer before baking, set oven racks at the middle and lowest levels and
Run a finger along the outside fluted edge of the pan to make sure that no dough is attached. The dough must not extend onto the outside of the pan or as the sides slip down a bit on baking, it will make a hole when the baked crust is removed.
Line the pan with the coffee filter or parchment and fill it three-quarters full with beans or rice to weight it, pushing the weights up against the sides. Carefully transfer the tart pan to the foil-lined baking sheet and set the tart on the lower rack.
Remove the tart pan, still on the baking sheet, to a wire rack. If any holes have formed, seal them with a little egg white and return the pan to the oven for 30 seconds for the egg white to set and become opaque. Alternatively, seal the hole or holes with a little melted white chocolate.
Let the tart shell cool for 3 minutes and then brush the bottom and sides to coat well with some of the reserved egg white, lightly beaten, to moisture-proof the crust. Cool completely.
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F/175°C.
The unbaked tart shell can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for about 1 year. The baked tart shell without the brushed egg white will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 days.
See recipe.
Set the tart shell, still on the foil-lined baking sheet, on the middle rack of the oven and carefully pour in the filling. It will fill the tart shell to the top. If your tart crust has shrunk or lowered in the pan, there will be some extra filling. Lower the heat to 325°F/160°C and
Avoid touching the filling’s surface because it will tear and stick to your finger. Use a cake lifter or 10 inch or longer grill spatula to slide the tart onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Place the tart pan on top of a canister that is smaller than the bottom opening of the tart pan’s outer rim. Press down on both sides of the tart ring. The outer rim should slip away easily. Slip a long metal spatula between the crust and the bottom of the pan, loosening it all around if necessary, and slide the tart onto a serving plate. The tart cuts easily, even into slim servings.
If desired, sprinkle powdered sugar on top of each slice shortly before serving the tart and accompany it with raspberry sauce.
Refrigerated, 5 days. Do not freeze, because the flavor will be less vibrant.
Copyright © 2014 by Cordon Rose, LLC. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.