Tallahassee trees deliver the goods for a Meyer Lemon Tart

It’s Meyer lemon season in Tallahassee, and fruit trees across town are laden with beautifully rounded balls of citrus-like delicacy.

If life gives you lemons, you’ll need my simple gingerbread crust lemon tart recipe. This flavorful lemon tart made from Meyer lemons with its crunchy, flavorful ginger biscuit crust will make your taste buds sing the hallelujah chorus.

Holiday events:A guide to everything you need for your Tallahassee vacation, from Candy Cane Lane to Santa Paws

Festive recipe:Festive meals are very easy with festive spinach and artichoke tartlets | king

Restaurant:Straight from Lima: Peruvian restaurant Café de Martín opens in Tallahassee

Not too sweet and not too sour, this gingersnap crust lemon tart has a light lemon flavor and would make a decadent, sweet way to end your Christmas dinner or any other special occasion.

Meyer lemons are a cross between a normal lemon and a mandarin orange. The ones I had were so big and juicy that I could get a whole pint of juice out of just three lemons.

The juice is a little sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons. Looking like sunshine on a plate, with a silky lemon filling that is bursting with fresh citrus flavor, this simple yet elegant dessert is every lemon lover’s dream.

Lemon tart with ginger crust recipe

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Ginger crust

12 ounces ginger cookies

6 tbsp butter, melted

Lemon filling

1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

¼ cup of cornstarch

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

⅔ Cup of fresh Meyer lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoon Meyer lemon peel

½ cup butter, cold – cut into small cubes

Directions

Ginger crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the ginger cookies into a food processor with a steel blade. Process until the biscuits are fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until well blended.

Pour the cookie mixture into a 9- or 10-inch cake and distribute it evenly. Use your fingers to press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of the pan to form the crust.

Bake for 9-10 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.

Lemon filling

Grate and squeeze the lemons. Put aside.

Put sugar, cornstarch, eggs, egg yolks and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two or until thickened to a pudding-like consistency.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon zest and butter. Keep stirring until the butter has melted and everything is well mixed.

Pour the lemon filling into a small bowl and place that bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice. Let cool for about 15 minutes.

Pour the cooled mixture into the cooled ginger crust. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. Before putting the tart in the refrigerator, press the cling film lightly onto the top of the filling to prevent a film from forming.

Remove from the tart pan to serve, cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!

Sharon’s tips:

• I love the sour lemon filling and gingernap crust combo, but a graham cracker crust, shortbread, or cookie crust would work too. Of course, you can also use a pre-baked regular pie crust, or even a store-bought graham cracker pie crust.
• A tart pan is a flat baking pan, similar to a cake pan, but with a removable base and ribbed edges. When baking with a tart pan, make sure the pan is placed on a baking sheet so that it can be pushed into the oven easily and without glitches. Also, when you handle a tart pan, hold it by the sides and not just by the bottom, or the ring and bottom will fall apart.
• The easiest way to remove the cake ring before serving is to put a large round tin or upturned bowl on the counter. Place the tart on the tin or bowl and gently pull the ring down. I usually don’t try to remove the cake from the bottom.
• You can substitute for regular lemons, but they’re not that sweet and sour. If you’re using regular lemons in this recipe, you may want to add a quarter cup of extra sugar.
• To see a twisted lemon garnish like the photos: take a lemon wedge, remove all the pips, cut a straight line from the center of the lemon to the edge, turn one side of the lemon forward and the other back.
• To make candied lemon wedges for garnish, cut a lemon into thin slices and remove the stone. Place in a small saucepan with a quarter cup of sugar and half a cup of water. Simmer over low heat for six to seven minutes. Use a slotted spoon and remove the slices from the syrup when the peels are translucent and tender. Let cool and use as a garnish.

Sharon Rigsby is the blogger behind Grits and Pinecones, a southern cuisine and hospitality blog. Search all of their recipes by visiting www.gritsandpinecones.com.

Never miss another story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

The post Tallahassee trees deliver the goods for a Meyer Lemon Tart first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/tallahassee-trees-deliver-the-goods-for-a-meyer-lemon-tart/