Tartelettes Au Citron (Individual Lemon Tarts)
- 1 recipe flaky sweet pastry dough (see below)
- 23 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (the juice of about 4 lemons)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream
- 5 large eggs
- Prepare the pastry shells.
- On a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out the dough to a thickness of one-eighth inch.
- Fit the pastry into six to eight four-inch tart tins.
- With your fingertips, carefully press the pastry into the pan and up the side, trying not to stretch it.
- Trim the overhang, leaving about a half-inch edge.
- Tuck this overhang inside the pan, pressing gently against the side to create a sturdy, double-sided shell.
- If you build the pastry a bit higher than the height of the pan, you have less problem with shrinkage.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line the shells carefully with heavy-duty foil, pressing well into the edges so the pastry does not shrink while baking.
- Tuck the foil into the bottom of the tart shells.
- Prick the pastry through the foil with the tines of a fork.
- Fill with weights of rice or beans - making sure you get all the way into the edges - to prevent shrinkage.
- Place the filled tins on a baking sheet and bake just until the pastry begins to brown around the edges and seems firm enough to stand up by itself, about 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and weights and continue baking until evenly light brown, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
- Watch the pastry carefully, for ovens vary and pastry can brown very quickly.
- Cool completely, for at least 15 minutes, before filling.
- Prepare the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, sugar and cream and whisk until well blended.
- Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition.
- Strain the lemon cream through a sieve to remove any portions of yolk or impurities.
- Pour the lemon cream into the prepared tartlet shells, place them on a baking sheet and bake just until the lemon cream is firm in the center, about five more minutes.
- (Alternatively, to form a single large tart, the dough can be rolled into a 12-inch circle to fit a 10 1/2-inch tart shell.
- Continue as directed for the individual tarts, but increase baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.)
pastry, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sugar, creme fraiche, eggs
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12135 (may not work)