Mini Lemon Tarts

 

I made these last year as a snacky dessert for a Christmas Eve party. They were an instant hit. They weren't easy, but they were so enjoyed it made the time they took all worth it. I think I'm getting an itch for something lemony!

 

 

Mini Lemon Tarts

serving size: 24

 

lemon curd:

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 5 lemons)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs plus 1 large yolk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size slices

 

Whisk together the granulated sugar, lemon juice, salt and eggs in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan (off the stove). Once the mixture is blended, place over medium heat and cook while stirring, until the curd is thick. This will take about 8 minutes. Whisk in the butter piece by piece; it will loosen up slightly. Pour curd into a large measuring cup and refrigerate to allow to thicken.

 

tart crust:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fine granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cold

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 teaspoons cold water

 

Sift flour, sugar and salt into mixing bowl. Cut chilled butter into pieces into the bowl. Using your fingertips, quickly rub the butter and dry ingredients together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. You can also use a pastry knife as I hate having sticky fingers...uck!

 

Stir egg yolks, vanilla and water together and add to the flour-butter mixture and blend in using a fork. Shape dough into a ball.

 

Place the ball of dough on a pastry board. Knead. Or as Mama put it so eloquently "With the heel of your hand, smear about 1/4 cup of dough away from you into a 6-8 inch smear; repeat until all the dough has been dealt with." Scrape dough together; reform into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray well so the crusts will not stick to the pan. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of wax paper. Taking a small portion of the dough create a small 2" disc and tuck the dough into muffin cups, pressing with your fingertips so that the dough comes up the sides of the cup.

 

Using a fork prick the bottoms of each dough cup. Then cut 3″ squares of foil and press them into the inside of the dough cups. Use pie weights, beans or rice or even pennies to weigh down the foil (I did not do this the first time and I wish I did). 

 

Bake the crusts for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and take out the foil and pie weights and then return the crusts to the oven for another 5-9 minutes until the crusts are lightly golden on the edges. Everyone’s oven is different so you really have to keep an eye on the crusts. Too much and it will be dry and crumbly.

 

put it together:

 Remove the crusts from the oven  and allow to cool  and remove and place on serving tray. Now, carefully add the lemon curd. Use a spoon to guide the curd from the measuring cup and into the crusts. Fill tarts. (Some people opt to bake @350f for 10 minutes, if so, fill below the brim)

 

For a garnish I used raspberries, mint leaves and candied lemon slices. They were a hit!

 

 

For the original recipe for this lemon curd go to Food Network w/ Jamie Deen

For the original recipe for the lemon tart crust go to Mama's Gotta Bake