It’s so strange to observe how I’m marking time during this pandemic. I’m so much more aware of how the presence or absence of ritual defines my life. Case in point: This is the first recipe I’ve developed in over a year. That seems crazy to me, but the truth is I just haven’t had the time/will/energy/bandwidth to play in the kitchen.
This lemon thyme tart brought me back to life. I stuck with the process, and I’m happy to say that after three failed attempts I finally found the perfect combination of tart and sweet. That bright lemony mouth pucker is exactly what I want to be eating while I wait for spring.
Before I share the recipe, a few tips:
1 | Stick with egg yolks. It’s the egg whites that give off that sulphur smell. No one likes an eggy tasting lemon tart.
2 | Lemons take on a metallic taste when they come in contact with metal, which I learned the hard way after creating a beautiful lemon tart that tasted like wet dog. Use a wooden spoon or silicone whisk instead of a metal whisk to make the curd. Stick with a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water for your double boiler.
3 | Don’t skimp on the fresh thyme garnish. Give folks a heads up that there’s thyme in the crust.
Lemon Thyme Tart
Tart Shell
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg yolk
2 tsp heavy cream or half + half
Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into small cubes. Add half the butter to the dry mixture. Use your fingers to break up the butter until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Add the remaining butter and repeat the process. Add the egg yolk and mix with your hands, then finally the cream to bring it all together. You need to work it with your hands only until it starts to resemble a dough, but don’t overwork it! Form it into a ball and wrap it in plastic. Flatten it with the palm of your hand to make a disc. Refrigerate for 30 mins to an hour.
Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and place on a clean, floured work surface. Roll out the dough slightly bigger than your tart pan. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer it to the pan. Make sure the dough is formed around the sides of the pan. Roll your pin over the top of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Cover with plastic and put in the freezer for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line the inside of the tart dough with foil, non-shiny side down. Carefully mold the foil to the sides of the dough. Fill the foil with sugar almost to the top — this will weight the dough as it cooks. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and sugar and bake for 12 minutes more or until the tart shell is golden brown. Cool and remove from tart pan.
Lemon Curd
3/4 cup sugar
zest of two lemons
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup lemon juice
healthy pinch of salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
Combine the sugar and lemon zest. Add the yolks and stir. Stir in the lemon juice then add the salt. Place on a double boiler and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Once thickened, add the butter and stir in. Take the finished curd off the heat and strain into a bowl. Pop into the fridge for a few hours until chilled.
Pour the curd into the cooled tart shell. Garnish with raspberries and fresh thyme. Keep cold until ready to serve!
I hope this recipe makes you as happy as it makes me! To me, each bite tastes like hope. Enjoy!
