I don’t know if it happens to you, but for me, when I want to treat myself to a sweet indulgence, with a traditional recipe, without any guilt, there are 5 desserts or sweets that come to mind: a rich brownie, chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, carrot cake, and of course, a good lemon pie.
However, when the sun starts to shine, and the weather gets nice, the freshness and lightness of the lemon pie become irresistible to me. Just thinking about something sweet and a nice terrace makes me want one immediately.
In my case, I’m happy with just the lemon curd, so I prepare it without the meringue. I find it less sweet, lighter, and fresher, but obviously, to each their own, and for me, in this case, in shades of yellow.
This recipe serves about 6-8 portions, but it’s so good that I make it for 4 people, and it always disappears!
Ingredients for the crust:
- 100g of cold butter
- 175g of wholemeal flour
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 egg
Ingredients for the filling (lemon curd):
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 100g of brown sugar
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 125ml of lemon juice
- Juice of 1 small orange
- 85g of butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
Steps to prepare the lemon tart:
- Put all the crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the ingredients start to form a dough. Be careful not to over-process the dough.
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently knead it to form a single dough, and use a rolling pin to flatten it.
- Grease a cake pan with a little oil or butter and place the dough in it. Shape the edges to match the waves of the pan. Don’t worry if it cracks, it’s normal, just press it back together with your fingers. Poke the dough lightly with a fork, cover it, and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You can also leave it overnight.
- Once the dough has rested, preheat the oven to 180°C with a fan, and bake it for 20-25 minutes until the dough turns golden brown and is cooked through.
- While the crust is baking, start preparing the filling. Heat a 20cm low casserole and add the cornstarch, along with the sugar, and the lemon zest.
- While whisking, gradually add the lemon juice.
- Squeeze the orange juice and mix it with water until you have a total mixture of up to 200ml and pour it into the saucepan. Continue stirring the mixture constantly until it begins to thicken gradually.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, turn off the heat and add the butter. Continue stirring until the butter is completely melted.
- Add the egg, stirring constantly to prevent egg pieces from cooking. Continue stirring for a few more minutes until you have a thick mixture. The ceramic retains a lot of heat, so it wouldn’t be necessary to turn on the heat again to finish cooking the mixture, but if the mixture doesn’t thicken enough, you can turn on the heat again and cook for a few more minutes.
- If you wanted to cook a meringue, in this case, it’s as simple as, while the filling we just cooked cools, beat 4 egg whites with 200g of sugar (first pour 100g and gradually add the other 100g) and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Once the lemon filling (or lemon curd) has cooled, pour it over the cooked crust and spread it evenly.
- If we had also made the meringue, we put the meringue on top carefully and bake it for about 20 more minutes until it starts to brown.
Note: It is important to use 100% ceramic cookware, especially for recipes that include acidic foods. This is because when using stainless steel or cast iron utensils, the acid can react with the metals, altering the taste of the food and releasing metallic compounds that could pose a long-term health risk. In contrast, ceramic is completely resistant to corrosion and does not react with acidic foods, ensuring a result free of toxins and heavy metals, as well as a purer and more intense flavor.
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
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