Lemon Cream Tart
adapted from the recipe for Pierre Herme's Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart in Baking: From My Home to Yours
by Dorie Greenspan; note that I omitted the lemon zest and decreased the butter...
*You will need a candy thermometer, a double boiler, and a blender for this recipe; the tart will serve 8
by Dorie Greenspan; note that I omitted the lemon zest and decreased the butter...*You will need a candy thermometer, a double boiler, and a blender for this recipe; the tart will serve 8
Servings: 0
Ingredients
- *1 cup sugar preferably organic
- *4 large eggs preferably organic and free range
- *3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice from 4 to 5 lemons, preferably Meyer lemons
- *1 stick plus 5 tablespoons organic unsalted butter at room temperature and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces (note that Dorie's recipe calls for one more whole stick of butter)
- *1 fully-baked graham cracker crust gluten-free or traditional or a 9-inch tart shell
Instructions
- 1. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. In a small pot that will fit in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs with the sugar and then the lemon juice.
- 2. Fit the bowl into the pan and cook, stirring with a whisk or a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens. Use a candy thermometer to determine the temperature as you're cooking the cream. You want it to reach 180°F.
- This can take a long time, and while Dorie instructs to keep whisking, I did not stir the whole while.
- 3. I found that in the double boiler, curdling the egg really wasn't a concern. I left and got a whole bunch of laundry folded and nothing bad happened. Do make sure to keep water in the bottom of your double boiler, though, because it will evaporate more than once while your lemon cream is cooking.
- 4. As it heats up and as you keep whisking the the cream, Dorie says "it will go from light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as the cream is getting closer to 180°F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point—the tracks mean the cream is almost ready". Keep whisking, but know that it really can take a little while longer to reach 180°F.
- 5. When the temperature reaches 180°F, take it off the heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
- 6. In a blender, process the cream on high and, with the machine going, add about 5 pieces of butter at a time. Continue to blend until all the butter has been added and the cream is perfectly smooth.
- 7. Pour the cream into a container and chill for a few hours or overnight. When you are ready to construct the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell.
- 8. The tart should be served cold, and it is fantastic with a dollop of crème fraîche or Greek yogurt.