My Favourite Meyer Lemon Tart

I was searching for a lemon tart recipe online and chanced upon a recipe that asked for Meyer Lemons. What's Meyer lemons? I have never heard about them before. I googled and found out that they are actually a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges. And they actually taste so. Amazing! I have also observed that Meyer lemons are slightly rounder, smoother and more orangy in colour.

Oh... for my Singaporean readers, the wooden juicer you see on the picture is really a great buy. I tried to look for it in Singapore at various places and failed to find one. I was elated to get it in Cambridge, Porter Square. Just for less than $3 USD. I simply love it. It is so easy to juice citrus fruits now. 

This recipe is a keeper. The crust is amazingly crunchy and buttery. I love it so much. I gave one to a friend and served one when my brother and his wife came to visit me. Marvelous feedback! I do hope you try. If you do not have Meyer lemons, you can always use ordinary lemons. 


Recipe ( Four 5" tarts) Adapted from Foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
Crust: 

• 1/2 cup Cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 1/4 cup Plain flour
• 1 Egg yolk
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp cold water

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients (except for cold water) in a food processor.You can opt to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. 
2. Using hands to gather the dough. Add a little of water at a time to help the dough come together. 
3. Knead a couple of times on a lightly floured surface. Wrap it with cling wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. 
4. Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius (425 F). 
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into 3mm thick. Lay it over the tart pans. Remove excess dough and poke the dough in the tart pan with a fork a couple of times. This will help to prevent air bubbles forming in tart shells during baking. 
6.  Cover the edges with aluminium foil to prevent burning. 
7. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 3 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven. It should be light golden brown. 

Filling:

• 3/4 cup Meyer lemon juice (approx 3 lemons)
• 3 Meyer lemons, zested
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• A pinch salt
• 3/4 cup butter, cut into cubes

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degree Celsius (300 F).
2. In a saucepan, mix juice, zest, sugar, eggs and salt using a whisk. 
3. Bring to a boil using medium heat. Keep whisking to prevent the lumps from forming. 
4. When it boils, remove from heat and add in butter slowly. Stir at the same time. 
5. It should have a smooth consistency. 
6. Pour it into the tart shells. 
7. Bake for 15 minutes. The curd should set.
8. Remove from heat and cool it for 30 minutes before serving. 
9. You may serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream with berries.