Lemon Tart with Almond Crust

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Lemon Tart with Almond Crust
A buttery almond pastry crust balances the flavor of the sweet, yet tart lemon filling. A beautiful dessert for Valentines Day, Easter, or any special occasion. Serve this delicious tart plain or with whipped cream, and garnished with lemon peel spirals.
Recipe type: Dessert | Custard Tart
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Recipe Notes
Pan: One 9" Tart with Removeable Bottom Pastry: Almond Pastry Prep: Baked Starting Oven Temp: 400° Storage: Cover and Refrigerate

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Ingredients
Almond Pastry:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup blanched almonds, toasted, and finely ground
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
  • ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare one 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom; lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter.
Almond Pastry:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, ground almonds, sugar, and salt. With a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, process in a food processor. Add almond extract and 2 tablespoons ice water. Stir until mixture holds together when pinched with your fingers. If pastry is too dry, add additional 1 tablespoon ice water.
  2. Press pastry evenly into tart pan, patting pastry evenly over bottom and up the sides, flush with the rim of the pan.
  3. Bake: Place the pastry lined tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Filling:
  1. In a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, combine sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and butter. Cook and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until butter is melted and mixture is thickened, about 7 to 8 minutes or registers 170 degrees using a candy or instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature. Remove from heat.
  2. Immediately pour hot mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to strain out the lemon zest and any pieces of cooked egg; pour into baked tart crust.
  3. Bake: Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Tip: filling will still be loose and jiggly after baking but will firm as it cools.
  4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.