I’m gonna make a lemon tart, but not today.

Classic French Lemon Tart

Pastry:

2 C flour
1/4 t salt
1/4C sugar
1/2C not soft butter
1 egg yolk
5 to 6 tablespoons of cold water
(pie weights or dried beans)

Lemon Curd:
8 fresh lemons (1 for zesting, 8 worth of juice)
12 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2/3C butter

Pastry:
1. Put flour, salt, sugar and butter in a food processor, combine until butter is smooth. Add cold water and yolk. Stop processing as soon as the dough becomes a ball. Do not overwork. Remove the dough and form it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

2. Melt 1T butter and use it to grease a 12” tart pan. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface and line the tart pan. Cover with aluminum foil and pie weights or beans, make sure weights are spread all the way to the edges.

3. Bake for 25 minutes in a 400º F oven, checking after 15 minutes (make sure edges aren’t too brown). Remove foil and weights and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Set a side to cool. It should be completely cooled before you add lemon curd.

Lemon Curd:
1. Grate the zest of 1 lemon and set zest aside. Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice.

2. In a saucepan over low heat melt butter and whisk in sugar. Once combined whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks.

3. Cook over medium heat whisking continuously until custard becomes thick – about 5-8 minutes. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

4. Pour into made tart and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.