Vintage Lemon Tart

If you're still struggling with what dessert to have for your Easter brunch or dinner, I have a super easy and delicious recipe for you!  This delicious lemon tart (or pie should you decide to make it in a pie pan) can easily be made a day ahead, which is a must when I'm entertaining.

Last weekend, we were invited to a dinner party and I offered to bring the dessert.  I knew I wanted to make something that tasted like spring and decided it would be lemon.  I consulted my Pinterest Board called "If Life Gives You Lemons" and I went down a vast worm hole of lemon recipes on the internet.

The recipe I decided on was mainly inspired by Tricia's beautiful lemon pie at Saving Room for Dessert.  There are many versions of lemon or Key Lime pies or bars that use sweetened condensed milk, many dating back more than 50 years.  The Eagle Brand website has their original version.  Many of the comments on recipes that I browsed, stated that their grandmother or great-grandmother had made the same recipe.

What won me over about Tricia's recipe was her whipped cream topping that includes cream cheese as a stabilizer.  Another do-ahead bonus! Remember I told you that is originally a very, old recipe?  The old-fashioned way to top the pie was to use the egg whites that are left-over from the pie filling to make a baked meringue topping. If you need to find another use for those egg whites, make an angel food cake, an egg white omelet or these delicious almond crisps from my friend Juliana.  Egg whites can also be frozen for up to a month. 

For the dinner party, I decided to add some finely ground almonds to the graham cracker crust.  In my research, I also saw crusts made from animal crackers and saltine crackers.  I'd love to try both!

I used a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  I had enough ingredients left to make these two individual tarts for my husband to enjoy the next day.  Just as tasty as the first day they were made!

Did you know that condensed milk was first introduced in France in 1820 and in the United States by Gail Bordon in 1856.  Condensed milk is real milk from which all water has been removed during a vacuum process.  It was used to feed soldiers during wars and to feed infants and children when lack of refrigeration lead to death from spoiled milk products.  In the 1930s, The Borden company (which is now Eagle Brand) asked homemakers to create and send in recipes made using sweetened condensed milk and I love that we are still using some of them today.

April weather has been very interesting! We've had highs in the 70s but this is what our back yard looked like on Sunday.

Thankfully, the early spring flowers are very hardy! These photos were taken yesterday, after the snow had melted. On the left, Katharine Hodgkin dwarf iris; in the center white Hellebore, or Lenten rose; and on the right, Chionodoxa or Glory of the Snow.

May you all have a save and happy holiday weekend!

Vintage Lemon Tart

Printable Recipe

Servings: 10 slices

My Notes: I used a 10 inch tart pan and doubled the entire recipe. I had enough cracker crumbs and filling left to make 2 4-inch tarts. You could also use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, which may take slightly longer to bake.

Tip:  Since I was bringing this dessert to someone else's home, I made the whipped topping in the morning and then placed it in a large piping bag with large tip. I like Wilton's large tips. but you will then need to use the large coupler. I sealed the open end of the piping bag with a rubber band, placed it in a zipper bag, and refrigerated it along with the tart.  I was then able to cut and decorate each slice individually when we served it.

Crust:

2-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (2 packages)
1/3 cup ground almonds
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Filling:

2/3 cup sour cream
2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk (I used Eagle Brand)
9 large egg yolks
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, from about 8 large lemons, strain (I prefer to use organic lemons when the zest is also used)
2 tablespoon lemon zest, plus more for garnish

Topping:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Grated lemon zest

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a food processor, combine the graham crackers, almonds and sugar. Process for about 15 pulses until finely crushed. Add the melted butter and pulse until just blended.  Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom (or use a pie plate or 9 x 13 baking pan).  Tip: Use the bottom of a 1-cup round measuring cup to help firmly press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake for 8 minutes and set on a baking rack to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  In a medium bowl (I like to use an 8 cup pyrex mixing bowl with pouring spout), add the sour cream.  With the mixer speed on low, slowly add the sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined. Add the egg yolks, one at a time until each is blended.  Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until blended. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake for about 25 minutes or until the filling is set, but is still somewhat jiggly in the center. Cool completely on a wire rack and then refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to add the topping.

Place the cream cheese into a medium bowl and mix until smooth using an electric mixer. Add the whipping cream slowly and beat until combined. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread over the top of the tart.  Top with fresh berries and sprinkle with additional lemon zest.

Inspired by Easy Lemon Pie from Saving Room for Dessert

Lemon Tart with Pine Nut Crust

My favorite desserts are chocolate and lemon.  Usually chocolate takes precedence, unless it's a REALLY good, REALLY lemon-y dessert.  Let me tell you, this one ranks in the top five all-time lemon desserts I've ever made and it could possibly be number one! 

The silky, lemon sabayon filling is wonderful and the sweet pine nut crust is a unique and delicious compliment to the tartness of the lemon.  Perfection, I tell you! The pine nut crust can even be made a day in advance and the lemon sabayon the morning you'd like to serve this dessert.  

The most time-consuming part of making this dessert is making the sabayon.  If you have a little patience and 15 minutes to devote to stirring,  it is well worth the effort.  The sabayon is slightly caramelized under the broiler after filling the tart, similar to a crème brûlée .  You can top it with whipped cream or plain raspberries, as I did. 

I don't often make dessert for my husband and myself.  But when we're invited to a dinner party I enjoy offering to bring dessert and try to make a little extra for us. The bonus mini tarts were refrigerated and enjoyed the next day ;)

If you know someone who is a lemon lover you need to make this for them.  It will knock their Christmas Stockings off :)

Christmas baking has just begun here.  I bought myself an early Christmas baking gadget a month ago and purchased this adorable Nordic Ware Gingerbread House pan.  

I also received a beautiful copper Christmas tree cookie cutter recently as a gift so made a few of my favorite gingerbread cut-outs and decorated them with royal icing. The moose in the background was a gift my my daughter that she purchased in Jackson Hole, WY on a ski trip. You can find my very own gingerbread recipe here and royal icing recipes here.  It's a little milder than most and goes over well, even with my grandsons who helped me decorate my first gingerbread cakes from my new cakelet pan :)  Not too bad for 3 and 6-year-old boys ♥.

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Lemon Tart with Pine Nut Crust

Printable Recipe Makes 8-10 servings Make the Pine Nut Crust first... Ingredients for the Lemon Sabayon: 3 large eggs, cold 3 large egg yolks, cold 1-1/8 cups sugar 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons) 9 tablespoons (4-1/2 ounces) cold butter, cut into 6 pieces Ingredients for the Pine Nut Crust: This is 1/2 the original recipe and makes enough dough for one 9-10 inch tart pan plus another 6 inch or two mini 4 inch tart pans. Butter and flour for the tart pan 1 cup pine nuts (5 oz) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 8 T (4 ounces) unsalted butter (I used salted), room temperature 1/2 large egg (I break an egg into a small bowl, whisk briefly to combine white and yolk and measure out 1/8 cup, which equals 1/2 egg) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract To make the pine nut crust: Place the pine nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the sugar and flour and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients (the dough can be mixed by hand or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Dough can be frozen, wrapped well, for up to 1 month.) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats. I used a non-stick tart pan so skipped this step. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press the chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off any excess dough. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. Don't worry about small cracks. May be made 1 day ahead. To make the lemon sabayon: When ready to start the lemon sabayon, have the lemon juice and butter ready by the side of the stove. Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. You don't want the bowl to touch the boiling water beneath. I used a double boiler. Meanwhile, in the bowl you will be using over the boiling water, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth. Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 10 to 15 minutes, possibly less, depending on your stove. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold. Adapted from Epicurious, Courtesy of Bouchon Cookbook

Lemon Capri Torte

Simply put ~ I love lemon! But, shhhh, don't tell chocolate. 

Secondly, I'm a recipe-aholic.  I have a 588 megabytes of dessert recipes alone saved on my computer. My entire recipe folder contains over 2-1/2 gigabytes of recipes.  I will never make most of them.  But when the recipe has the word 'lemon' in it somehow it manages to surface...at some point.

At the end of summer we entertained some good friends for dinner.  The husband happens to be even more of a lemon-lover than I am, so I decided to try this Sophie Dahl recipe that had been lost in megabytes for over a year.  The verdict - Delicious! Of all the lemon tarts I've made over the years, my friend said he liked this lemon dessert the best because of the moist and dense cake texture.

Gluten free if you use the potato flour!

I served it with a dollop of lemon curd just to add to the lemon-y goodness.  You can find an easy recipe for homemade lemon curd made in the microwave here.

Once again, it's the end of the month and time to join Al Dente Gourmet's photography challenge for our Oh Happy Plates Group on Pinterest.  This month the challenge was citrus.  How perfect. 

Lemon Capri Torte

Adapted from Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl
Printable Recipe

Sophie Dahl:  I got this recipe from a taxi driver in Sorrento who was big on cooking. He said his wife and daughters begged him not to cook because he left the kitchen in such a mess!

Serves 6

1-1/2 sticks of butter, plus extra for greasing
1 cup fine (bakers) sugar
6 eggs, separated
Zest and juice of four lemons
2 cups blanched almonds, toasted then ground to as fine a consistency as possible in food processor
1 cup potato flour (or substitute plain flour), plus more for dusting the pan

Preheat oven to 400°F

Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake tin or pan (preferably spring form).

Cream the sugar and butter together with a mixer until smooth.

Add the egg yolks, then lemon zest and juice and mix together.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks then add to the egg yolk mixture.

Fold in ground almonds and flour.

Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Turn oven 300°F and bake for another 40 minutes.

Remove, cool and invert onto a platter.

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust

This is a recipe that I posted early in 2009 but is so good that it deserves a second post.

I've made this recipe a number of times and highly recommend it!  The lemon curd is amazingly creamy and so delicious! This is a tart that will satisfy both the lemon and chocolate lovers out there (I am both).  I added some lemon zest to the recipe for an extra lemon boost. Everyone LOVES it! 

The crust is like eating chocolate sable cookies.  In fact, I had some crust left over that I rolled into a log, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, sliced and baked into cookies!

Shop 8 and 9 inch tart/quiche pans like mine HERE.  (Affiliate Link) 

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust

Adapted from Food and Wine
Printable Recipe

I used a tart pan which measures 7 inches across the bottom, 8 inches across the top with 1-1/2 inch sides. If your tart pan only has 1" sides, I suggest using a 9 inch tart pan.  

This lemon tart satisfies both the lemon lovers and chocolate lovers!

Makes 1 tart and serves 5-6

CHOCOLATE PASTRY

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons of almond flour*
1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2  large egg (whisk together and measure 2 tablespoons)

LEMON CURD

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, cocoa and salt; pulse to blend. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg; process until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic, flatten into a disk and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 7-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to a 14-inch round 1/4 inch thick. Fit the pastry into the tart pan, patting in with your fingers to level it. Run a rolling pin across the rim of the pan to cut off any overhanging dough. Tears may be patched with scraps. Line the pastry with a piece of foil cut to fit the bottom and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is nearly dry. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake the crust for 15 minutes longer, or until firm. Let cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the whole egg and the remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pour half of the hot lemon syrup slowly into the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Add the combined mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the lemon-sugar mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil, about 9 minutes; it should be the consistency of sour cream. If the curd has any lumps you can strain the curd through the sieve.

Preheat the oven to 300 while the lemon curd cools to room temperature, then whisk in the softened butter until the curd is light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.

Pour the curd into the crust and bake for 20 minutes, or until set. Cool tart on a wire rack, then refrigerate until chilled. Unmold the tart and garnish it with chocolate shavings.

The baked tart can be refrigerated overnight.

*Almond flour is available at specialty markets. Or, finely grind 3/4 cup (3 ounces) of blanched almonds which is what I did.

My Note: I have reduced the original crust recipe by half since the original called for an 11" tart pan. However, the lemon curd proportions remains the same and it fills a 7-inch bottom tart pan with 1-1/2 inch sides perfectly.  If your tart pan has 1-inch sides, I suggest moving up to a 9" tart pan.

If you have left-over crust, roll it into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Cut into slices, place on a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes at 375.  Yum!

Very Creamy Lemon Cream Tart ~ Last of the Gourmet Night Recipes

I'd like to share one last recipe from our Gourmet Group dinner that my husband and I hosted on July 4. This was the dessert and finale of our event. If a recipe has chocolate or lemon in the title, my attention is immediately focused on it! I chose to assign Dorie Greenspan's Most Extraordinary Lemon Cream Tart from Baking, From My Home to Yours to one of the couples in our group.

I had not pre-tested the recipe myself, but knew that if it came from Dorie by way of Pierre Hermé it had to be delicious - just like their wonderful World Peace cookies.

The tart was delicious and oh-so creamy! The shortbread crust was light and flaky and the perfect foil for the lemon cream. Piled with whatever seasonal fresh fruit is in season and you have a mouth-watering dessert.

Since there are 10 in our gourmet group and the recipe only serves 8, I requested to the couple to whom I assigned the recipe that they bring two - knowing it was likely to be very popular with our group.

Unfortunately, the person who made the recipe decided to double the recipe and make both at one time - big mistake! Not only was it too difficult to handle on the stove-top making the lemon cream, but pureeing the whole batch at once was a total disaster and it exploded out of the food processor all over the kitchen. Take note!

Thankfully, my friends did not hate me for assigning the recipe but after having to zest and squeeze 8 lemons and using and throwing out 8 eggs just to start over again, I will be sure not to assign dessert to them next time we host!

The Recipe~

Very Creamy Lemon Cream Tart
Adapted from "Most Extraordinary Lemon Cream Tart" by Dorie Greenspan from her book Baking from My Home to Yours
Printable Recipe

1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 lemons, finely grated
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 to 5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, at room temperature
1 fully-baked 9-inch tart shell (recipe to follow)
Fresh fruit for Garnish

Special Equipment: A candy thermometer or instant read thermometer
Have a strainer placed over a blender or food processor
*See note below

Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan into which a heat-proof bowl can be fitted without touching the water.

In the bowl that will later be used to place over the simmering water, work the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs followed by the lemon juice.

Fit the bowl into the pan (make certain the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl) and cook, stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels lukewarm to the touch. You want to cook the cream until it reaches 180°F. You must whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. You will see the cream start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and as the cream is gets close to 180°F, it will start to thicken and you will see tracks from the whisk. Important — the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don’t stop whisking and keep checking the temperature. Depending on how the temperature of your stove, getting to the proper temperature can take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as the cream reaches 180°F, pull it from the heat and strain it into the container of a blender or food processor and discard the zest. Let the cream rest at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140°F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high and, while the machine is running, add about 5 pieces of butter at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container several times with each addition of butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine running to get a perfect light, airy texture or about another 3 minutes. If your machine overheats, you can work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a rest.

Pour the cream into a container and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal. Chill the cream for at least 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to construct the tart, whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell.

The tart should be served cold.

Advance preparation: The lemon cream will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days, however, once the tart is constructed, it’s best to eat it that day.

*Note: Do not double recipe – prepare separately if you need two tarts.


Sweet Tart Dough

Makes enough for one 9-inch crust

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup finely ground pecans or pistachios
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Note: It is best to press this dough into the pan rather than rolling it out first.

Put the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in—you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. In a small bowl, stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, to the food processor, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses—about 10 seconds each—until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change. At this point, turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that didn't get mixed in.

Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Don't be too heavy-handed—press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Make sure to keep a close eye on the crust's progress—it can go from golden to way too dark quickly. Transfer the tart pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling. If there are any cracks in the baked crust, patch them with some of the reserved raw dough as soon as you remove the foil. Slice off a thin piece of the dough, place it over the crack, moisten the edges and very gently smooth the edges into the baked crust and bake for another 2 minutes or so, just to take the rawness off the patch.

Advance Preparation: Dough can be kept in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for up to 5 days.

I'm sharing this Lemon Tart with all my friends at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday this week.  Have a peek at all of the wonderful treats that will be shared.

And, since this recipe is a flashback of our Gourmet dinner, I'm also linking to Flashback Friday at Kitchen Bouquet!

 

Very Lemony Tart

This past week, a very good friend had back surgery. Not fun! To cheer him, I made his favorite dessert - lemon tart.

I've had this recipe for years. Do any of you remember Gail's Recipe Swap on the internet waaaay back in the 90's? That's where I found this recipe and sadly, it was before I was conscientious about also including the poster's name, so I have no idea who submitted this wonderful recipe. If you're still out there and care to identify yourself, please do! I will forever be indebted to you for this wonderful recipe!

This tart is as advertised - very lemony, which I love. It has the grated zest of 5 lemons!

Another wonderful thing about this recipe is the crust. It is baked first with chopped almonds sprinkled on top for a delightful crunch.

I hope it made my friend feel a little better :)

VERY LEMON-Y TART
Printable Recipe

CRUST:

1-1/8 cup flour
1/4 lb. butter
2 tablespoons water
2-1/4 teaspoons finely chopped almonds

FILLING

5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 5 lemons

Preheat oven to 375F. Using flour, butter and water, make crust in usual way. Roll out to fit tart pan with removable bottom. Prick all over with fork. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Line with foil and add pie weights (or dried beans). Bake 20 minutes or until crust is dry.

In medium bowl, beat sugar and eggs together for 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Add butter, cream, juice, and zest. Mix together and pour into crust. Bake 20-25 minutes or until set.

You may also find a few more lemon desserts on my blog such as...from left to right Lemon Snow Balls, Lemon Sables, and Lemon-Cream Cake. :)