I have a confession. Until 3 months ago, I had bought perhaps 15 lemons in my entire life. (I hear the cries already: “WHAT?! You’re lying. I see recipes for lemon chicken, cucumber lemonade, and lemon squares! You probably buy lemons all the time, you liar.”) But I’m not lying. I mostly used bottled lemon juice (gasp!). It was convenient. It did the trick when I needed it, and I was happy in my ignorance.
3 months ago today, I purchased a citrus juicer on impulse. My life would never be the same.
In truth, I bought my juicer primarily to make the perfect margarita with fresh squeezed lime juice, but I started using it for cooking. I could squeeze a lemon so easily that I didn’t think about it anymore. Suddenly everything tasted better. Inspired, I began using the lemon’s zest as well. I will never, ever go back.
This lemon tart is a perfect celebration of the beautiful vibrancy of lemons. The lemon curd filling is certainly rich, but the juicy tang of just-squeezed lemons bursts through with mouthwatering assertiveness. A tender, butter-loaded crust is an ideal foil. If you’re looking to shake things up a bit, garnish the tart with a sprig of basil, instead of the more traditional mint.
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart and Ina Garten
What you need:
- 1 pie crust, pressed into a removable bottom 9″ tart pan or pie plate
- 4 lemons, zested and juiced (lemons should be at room temperature to maximize juiciness)
- 1.5 c sugar
- 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
- 4 extra large (5 large) eggs, at room temperature
- Sprigs of basil or mint, for garnish
- pinch salt
What to do:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover pie crust with aluminum foil, pressing down the foil so it touches the crust. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover, prick the crust with a fork, and bake additional 15-20 minutes, until lightly brown. Remove from oven and cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together lemon zest and sugar.
- Whisk in butter until fully combined. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until fully combined, then add the lemon juice and salt.
- Pour lemon mixture into a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes), pour into the pie shell. Cool at room temperature. Garnish with basil or mint, and serve.
