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Title: Lemon Helen's Lemon Tarts
Categories: Pie Pastry
Yield: 8 3"-4"tarts
| AMERICAN MEASUREMENTS | ||
| LEMONS | ||
| 2 | Meyer lemons | |
| 1/2 | c | Sugar |
| 1 | c | Water |
| CRUST | ||
| 1 | c | Flour |
| 1 | tb | Sugar |
| 1/4 | ts | Salt |
| 1/4 | ts | Grated lemon zest |
| 1/2 | c | Butter; room temp |
| 1 | tb | Water |
| 1 | ts | Vanilla |
| CUSTARD | ||
| 2 | Eggs | |
| 1/2 | c | Sugar |
| 1 | ts | Vanilla |
| 1 | c | Milk |
If you can't get Meyer lemons, use Eureka lemons, but be sure to partially pare and slice them very thin, and macerate the slices not just a few hours, but overnight.
Hours ahead, or the night before, prepare lemons. If they are Eureka lemons, grate bout 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and reserve for the pastry and for sprinkling over the custard. Put the sugar and water in a saucepan, place over high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the syrup to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Peel away all the rind and white pith from the lemons and slice them as thin as you can; it's okay if you have partial slices. Remove the pits. Place the lemon slices in the sugar syrup and macerate (soak) for at least 2 hours. If you use Meyer lemons, simply remove seeds and slice very thin.
In a small bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter and mix with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the water and vanilla extract and stir into the flour mixture, working just until the pastry forms a ball. Roll it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, prepare the custard. Whisk together the eggs and sugar and beat until well blended. Whisk in the vanilla and milk, but do not over beat or the custard will be too frothy.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the ball of dough on a floured board and roll it out about 1/4-inch thick. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Press them into 3 to 4-inch tart tins about 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep. Trim off any overhang. Place tarts on a cookie sheet. Carefully pour the custard into the tart shells and gently pinch down the drained slices of macerated lemons into each tart. Sprinkle the reserved lemon zest over the tarts and bake until custard is only slightly jiggly, about 30 minutes.
Source: The Agony of the Leaves by Helen Gustafson. As published in the Oregonian FoodDay; typos by Dorothy Flatman 1997
From: Dorothy Flatman Date: 09-08-97 (13:31) The Pine Tree Bbs (222) Cooking(F)
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