Whole Meyer Lemon Tart for Passover
My recipe for this simple whole lemon tart was originally published in the wonderful GFF Magazine . It’s a super easy filling which uses the entire lemon, rind, seeds and all. Traditionally this style of whole citrus tart is called a ‘shaker’ tart. It’s important to use meyer lemons here as they are sweeter and less bitter than common eureka lemons and they have a thinner skin/ less pith. While there is still some bitterness in the tart, it’s nicely balanced. This is a great recipe to make in early Spring when an abundance of citrus varieties are in season and you’re looking for fresh, bright flavors. It’s also a great recipe for Passover as the crust is unleavened and the grains included are allowed for Passover under the new rules. That said, as with any religion, culture, or tradition, you should do what you feel is right in order to meet the standards of your faith.
WHOLE MEYER LEMON TART
Yields- 1, 9-inch tart
Bake Time- 40 minutes tart, 15 minutes crust
For the Tart
Ingredients
1 recipe for Sweet Pastry Crust Dough chilled (see below)
Rice flour for sprinkling
1 large Meyer lemon about 4 ounces, skin on cut into 8 pieces
1 ¼ cups (8.9 ounces) sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
4 eggs
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the pastry crust dough between two pieces of plastic wrap and roll it into a 10-inch disk, ¼-inch thick. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap, lift the dough and remaining wrap, invert it over a 9-inch tart pan, and position the dough to fit the pan. Peel off and discard the remaining plastic wrap and trim the dough edges with a paring knife. Top the dough with a piece of parchment, fill it with a layer of dried beans or baking weights, and bake for about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is blonde around edges and just set in middle. Remove the beans and parchment paper.
Put the Meyer lemon (peel, seeds, and all), sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs into blender and blend until very smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour into the tart shell and bake for about 40 minutes or until just set in the middle, like custard. If the top begins looking dark during cooking, tent it with foil. Cool to room temperature and serve.
For the Pastry Crust
Ingredients
1 ¼ cup (6.9 ounces) brown rice flour plus more for sprinkling
½ cup (2 ¼ ounces) millet flour
¼ cup (1.18 ounces) tapioca flour
½ cup (1 ¾ ounces) sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ pound (4 ounces or 1 stick) unsalted butter cold and cubed
1 egg
Method
In a stand mixer or food processor, mix the dry ingredients together until combined. Add (or pulse if using a processor) the butter and mix until the size of peas. Add the egg and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ¼ cup very cold water and mix until dough comes together. Chill for 10 minutes before rolling out for easier handling.
