Meyer lemons, with their natural balance of tart and sweet, make an intensely lemony filling for this French-style tart, one that is dense but not thick. The crust—crumbly, with lots of butter and a little sugar—is almost like shortbread.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 4–5 Meyer lemons
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 10 tablespoons butter, melted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the flour and ¼ cup of the sugar and stir until well blended. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, cut until the mixture is crumbly. Add the egg and, using a fork, mix it into the dough. Using your fingers, press the dough evenly into the tart pan; the crust should be about ¼ inch thick.
Line the crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift out the liner and weights. Prick any bubbles with the tines of a fork and return pastry shell to the oven until firm and barely colored, about 5 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of 2 of the lemons and set aside. Halve and juice as many lemons as needed to measure ¾ cup lemon juice.
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and the eggs until pale yellow. Gradually pour in the melted butter, beating constantly. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Gently spoon the filling into the warm pastry shell. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is lightly golden and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to let firm up and cool completely before serving. Serves 10.
