Lazy Girl’s Meyer Lemon Tart

I love a good cupcake. I also love a good cake (or brownie or blondie or cookie… I could go on and on), but sometimes I really crave a not-too-sweet tart. Lemon tarts have always been one of my favorites, something about the tartness of the lemon and the sweetness of the crust just does it for me. I found this recipe in my new favorite cookbook, Food52 and had to give it a try.

The result was a light, easy, lemon tart. The ingredient list is small and the directions are simple (4 steps), which makes this a good recipe to whip out in a hurry. When serving, I would also add some fresh whipped cream or strawberries to compliment the dish and jazz it up a little.

This recipe doesn’t specify what tart shell to use. We used a Pate Brisee (recipe from The Joy of Baking), which is a sweeter tart and it paired perfectly with the tartness of the Meyer lemon. I would definitely recommend giving it a try, but I also included links to few different types of tart shells below if you wanted to experiment.

Lazy Girl’s Lemon Tart

Makes 1 Tart

Ingredients:

1 large Meyer Lemon, cut into 8 pieces
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
Your favorite 9-inch tart shell, blind baked (can be store bought)
Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put all the ingredients (except the tart shell and powdered sugar) into a blender and whirl until mixed (approximately 1-2 minutes).
Pour into tart shell.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (Make sure the top does not burn.). Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Once cooled, using a sifter and the palm of your hand, tap powdered sugar along the top of the tart.

Recipe from Food52

How to Blind Bake A Tart Shell:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 9-inch fluted tart pan with pastry dough (some recipes below or you can buy store bought).
Prick the crust with a fork. Line it with parchment (be generous) and fill with pie weights (we use dried black beans).
Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and parchment and bake for another 10 minutes.
If following the recipe above, let the shell cool, add the lemon filling and bake according to instructions above.