Lemon Cream Tart II (Tartine recipe)

Obviously I am addict to making tarts now. After I still have lemon left from making the lemon tart from Bourke Street Bakery, I am keen to try other lemon tart from other recipes. One of them is from Tartine that I bought from Amazon long time ago but never tried to make any.


The actual Tartine Lemon cream tart is garnished with whipped cream but since I wanted to give it to my friends, its definitely easier to decorated with Italian meringue.

Sweet Tart Dough

by Tartine (for 9-inch tart shells or twelve 4-inch tartlet shells)

1 cup + 2 tbsp (9 oz/255 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7 oz/200 grams) sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room tempterature
3 1/2 cups (17 1/2 oz/500 grams) all-purpose flour

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth.

2. Mix in 1 egg. Add the remaining egg and mix until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1/2 inch thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight or freeze 3 for future use (this dough will keep for up to 3 weeks).

To line a tart pan, place a dough disk on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all directions. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn after every few strokes, dusting underneath as necessary to discourage sticking, and work quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm. Cut out a circle 2 inches larger than the pan. If the dough is still cool, carefully transfer the circle to the pan, easing it into the bottom and sides and then pressing gently into place. If the dough has become too soft to work with, put it in the refrierator for a few minutes to firm up before transferring it to the pan. If the dough develops any tears, just patch with a little extra dough, pressing firmly to adhere. Trim the dough level with the top of the pan with a sharp knife. Place the pastry shell in the refrigerator or freezer until it is firm, about 15 minutes.

If you are making tartlet shells, roll out the dough in the same way, cut out circles according to the size of your pans, and line the pans. The rest of the dough, including the scraps, can be frozen for future use. (from the pictures, I still got four 3.5-inch tart shells left in the freezer)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dock (make small holes in) the bottom of the tart shell or tartlet shells with a fork or the tip of a knife, making tiny holes 2 inches apart. Place in the oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes for a partially baked large shell or 5 to 7 minutes for tartlet shells. The pastry should be lightly coloured and look dry and opaque.

Let cool completely on wire racks. The pastry shells will keep, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Cream

by Tartine (about 2.5 cups /625 ml)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (5 oz/155 ml) lemon juice

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup (6 oz/170 g) sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup (8 oz/225 g) unsalted butter

1. Pour water to a depth of about 2 inches into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer.

2. Combine lemon juice, whole eggs, yolk, sugar and salt in a stainless steel bowl on top of double boiler. Whisk ingredients constantly for 10-12 minutes until the mixture becomes very thick and registers 180F on a thermometer.

3. Remove the bowl from over the water and stirring from time to time to release the heat.

4. Meanwhile, cut butter into 1 tbsp-pieces. When the cream is ready, using either a regular blender, or an immersion blender, add 1 piece of butter at a time to lemon mixture, blending after each addition of butter. The cream will be pale opaque yellow, and quite thick.

You can use the cream immediately, or pour it into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Italian Meringue

by Bourke Street Bakery

200 g caster sugar, plus 20 g extra

100 ml water

4 egg whites

1. Put the sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, stirring until the mixture boils, then stop stirring, as this will cause sugar crystals to form.

2. Brush the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush every couple of minutes or when you see crystals starting to form. Allow the mixture to keep boiling until it reaches 118C on the thermometer, then remove from the heat immediately.

3. Put the egg whites in a very clean blowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Start mixing on high speed when the sugar reaches about 110c until the egg whites become foamy, then add the extra sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

4. With the mixture still running on high, slowly pour the sugar syrup (118c) into the whites, adding care not to pour the syrup directly onto the beater to avoid spraying boiling syrup over yourself. Once all the syrup is added, turn the mixer to low speed and keep mixing for a further 10 - 15 minutes, or until the meringue is cool. (I used the hand mixture)

To assemble the lemon cream tart:

Have the tart shell ready for filling. Pour the lemon cream directly into the cooled tart shell. Shake the tart pan gently to smooth out the top of the filling. Chill the tart until firm, about 2 hours, before serving.

Use a piping bag to pipe the meringue onto the lemon tart, completely covering the top of the tart - then use a palette knife to create a less formal shape. Brown the meringue with a blowtorch or place it under a very hot grill for 30 - 45 seconds, or until browned - make sure you watch it carefully as it will burn very quickly.

I gave the big tarts to friends and leave the mini ones for my housemates... They looks so cute, aren't they?

Have to try one for myself of course, yummmmmm :D