This is a delicious treat. It isn't as heavy as a cheesecake, plus you get the benefit of a lovely crisp crust!
Tarts always go down very well in my house, especially because of the sheer amount of desserts I make. Because they are shallow, they make for a nice light dessert. However, because of that they are gone pretty quickly. (I can't even get a picture in before a slice has disappeared!)
I used a tart pan for this recipe, though I wish I had used my tart ring. Using a tart ring is a bit more fiddly, but always yields a very crisp tart shell, (nary a soggy bottom in sight)!
You can see me use my tart ring in the recipe for a Brown Butter Raspberry Tart, which I actually made using the left over dough from this tart. I tend to roll my dough quite thin, for a nice crisp crust, so there was enough of this dough left over for a 7" version of that.
Your List of Ingredients
190g AP flour
50g confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
142g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 egg yolk
450g cream cheese (2 packages), room temperature
100g sugar
zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large eggs
pinch of salt
TOOLS
Make the tart:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine flour, confectioner's sugar, salt and lemon zest in a bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Scatter the cubed butter on top and pulse until the mixture is sandy and it is almost completely incorporated.
Add the egg yolk and pulse until incorporated. At this point the dough should hold together, if not you can add a tsp. or 2 of cold water, but no more than 3.
If you don't have a food processor you can always do this process with pastry blender in a large bowl.
Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and press dough mixture evenly on the bottom and sides of the pan. Line the tart pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and add pie weights (or beans). Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, until it is lightly golden.
Turn the oven down to 350F and leave the shell on the baking pan, to cool slightly.
Make the filling:
Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt to a stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer) and whip until smooth and fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, completely incorporating before adding the next.
Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth.
Tap the bowl on the counter a few times to get rid of the air bubbles.
Pour the mixture into the crust and smooth the top. Transfer it carefully to the oven. Bake until just set on the edges and slightly jiggly in the center, about 15-20 minutes.
Let tart cool to room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
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