I’m still on a little bit of my meyer lemon kick, which I am finding the last of them in the shops for the season. Over Easter Weekend, I made this lovely little Meyer Lemon and Pistachios Tart. It almost looks like the pistachios are covered in a light dusting of snow, which would be appropriate for Spring in New England.
for the crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pistachio extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
for the filling
4 to 6 Meyer lemons (3/4 cup juice, 1 tablespoon zest)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of fine sea salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup irregularly chopped toasted pistachios
Directions
To make the pastry crust, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, rosemary and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to cut the butter into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Roll into a ball and refrigerate for an hour, until the dough is hard enough to roll. Generously spray a 10-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom, with baking spray. When cooled, roll to a 12-inch circle and fit to your tart shell, folding under the edge and docking. Return to the refrigerator for another hour; or to the freezer for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 325F.
Remove crust from the refrigerator, line with foil and pie weights. Bake for 30-35 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown.
While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon curd: Grate a tablespoon zest from the lemons and set aside. Squeeze the lemons to yield 3/4 cup juice. In a small saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, sugar, eggs and yolks, cornstarch and fine sea salt over medium heat until boiling and thickened, 2 to 5 minutes. Make sure mixture comes to a boil or the cornstarch won’t activate. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in butter, olive oil and lemon zest.
When the pastry is ready, take it out of the oven and carefully pour the lemon curd onto the base; return the pan to the oven. Bake until topping is just set, 10 to 15 minutes more. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. About an hour before you are ready to serve, take the tart from the refrigerator and garnish with the chopped pistachios. Serve with whipped cream.
