I sometimes avoid making a tart because I dread the part where you need to roll out the crust.
That is not to say I don't take pleasure in it sometimes, too. It's just that there are times when I need to take a little shortcut to get me to make the dessert.
The detour is a no-roll crust, and the dessert is a Fresh Lemon Tart.
The preparation method first will save you time and stress; the finished tart - that will speak for itself with the first bite.
In making the dough for the crust, still make sure you begin with chilled butter, as this will make the finished crust flakier. This food-processor method saves valuable time.
Make the entire tart at one time, or prepare up to the point of pressing the dough into the pan and chill it until the next day. Then proceed to make the filling and bake the tart.
And for me, fresh lemons in April make sense. You've been eating apples and pears all winter, and berries are not yet in season. A homemade lemon tart is pretty much universally loved and a safe bet when making an exceptional dessert for occasions in April.
NO-ROLL CRUST FRESH LEMON TART(makes 6 to 8 servings)
Chilling the dough once it has been pressed into the tart pan helps to keep its shape during baking. Pie weights are available at specialty kitchen stores, but dry beans work just as well.
CRUST:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
8 ounces (1 cube) chilled butter, cut into pieces
FILLING:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In food processor* fitted with a steel blade, put flour, sugar and salt; pulse a few times. Add butter chunks.
Using the pulse button, process until mixtures just comes together in chunks, about 1 minute.
Transfer dough chunks to 9 1/2 inch tart pan, evenly distributing them around the pan. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, making sure dough is pressed firmly where bottom of pan meets edges.
Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour (pressed dough can also be chilled overnight).
Cut a piece of foil about 1 inch bigger than the pan and lightly press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan; fill foil with dry beans or pie weights up to the top edge of pan. Bake 12 minutes.
Remove foil and weights. Return crust to oven until just starting to dry, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Whisk together eggs and sugar until lightened and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, flour, lemon zest and baking powder.
Pour filling into partially baked tart crust. Return to oven and bake until filling is set, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove tart from oven, and allow cooling to room temperature.
To serve, sprinkle tart with a little sifted powdered sugar. Cut into 6 to 8 pieces. Garnish each piece with whipped cream and mint leaves.
*Crust can also be made by hand: In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut in butter until butter is evenly distributed and dough resembles size of peas. Grab handfuls of flour mixture and press together in your hand until dough sticks together in chunks. Proceed as above for pressing into tart pan.
Linda Burner Augustine is a free-lance cooking teacher, food writer and consultant in Madison Park. She can be reached at mptimes@nwlink. com.[[In-content Ad]]
