I know from my own experience that the more confident and practiced you become at handling and cooking food, the better the results. Excellent ingredients are certainly important, but having confidence makes a huge difference. You will need all your confidence for this recipe because working with the dough is a creative process.
This recipe is beautifully buttery, sour, nutty, and sweet, with a perfect balance of soft and crispy textures. Paired with the bergamot flavor of Fancy Earl Grey tea, it’s a treat you’ll want to share. The tart can also be made gluten-free.
Tools
9½ inch tart pan
Ingredients for the Crust
3½ ounces almond flour
2 ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces cold unsalted butter
1½ ounces granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for the Curd
4 ounces butter
3 ounces granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 eggs
3 egg yolks extra
Garnish Ingredients
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
3 edible flowers
To make the flavorful almond crust: Mix almond flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl or on the countertop. Cut the cold butter into small thin cubes. Add butter to the flour mixture and slowly incorporate it with your fingertips until it resembles sand. Add 1 egg yolk and the heavy whipping cream and combine until the dough is a soft consistency. (If you prefer a gluten-free crust, use all almond flour, and omit the all-purpose flour.) Check consistency. You may need additional cream if the dough isn’t sufficiently moist, although this won’t apply if you have used all almond flour as it is more moist than all-purpose flour. Don’t worry if the dough seems too moist, simply add a little more flour until you have a ball of dough. Gently press it flatter, soften the edges, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
While the dough is in the freezer, start making the curd. Add butter, sugar, and lemon juice to a medium pan on medium heat. Begin stirring the butter mixture until it starts to bubble and then remove the pan from the stove. Whisk 3 eggs and the extra 3 egg yolks in a separate bowl and set it aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Take the dough out of the freezer and roll it out to an 11-inch circle. Don’t be bothered if the dough doesn’t spread nicely into a thin circle. You can simply put the dough into your tart dish and spread it with your fingers. Remove excess dough and pinch the outside of the dough to make a decorative edge. Place this dough base into the oven for 25 minutes.
Very slowly and little by little, add the hot butter mixture to the whisked eggs, whisking it all together. (If you add the hot butter mixture all at once or quickly, you will end up with cooked eggs, which is not our plan.) Pour the incorporated mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low-medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will start thickening after a few minutes. Set it aside when the consistency is thick.
When cooked, remove the crust from the oven. Strain the curd through a sieve and pour into the pastry crust. Put the lemon curd-filled tart back into the oven for 8 minutes to broil, with the oven door open a little while at the broil setting.
Remove the lemon tart from the oven and let it cool for at least an hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and edible flowers to wow your friends. Expect a standing ovation.
