LAZY MARY'S LEMON TART

ph: Fredrika Stjarne

Food & Wine has joined in with a February Pastry Calendar, one indulgent pastry for each day of February. I perused their offerings and the first dessert to catch my eye was a lemon tart recipe from Mary Constant called Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart. It's a super easy recipe since you toss most of the ingredients, including the star a whole Meyer lemon, into a blender and viola! the filling is ready to be poured into the par-baked crust. 

Lazy Mary's Lemon Tart

Pastry Dough:

1 3/4 c plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/3 c plus 3 Tbsp confectioner's sugar

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/3 c plus 3 Tbsp chilled lard or vegetable shortening

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

1/4 c plus 2 Tbsp ice water

Filling:

1 large Meyer lemon, chopped

1 1/2 c superfine sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1. Make the dough: On a lightly floured work surface and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Ease the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (2 inches deep) and trim the overhang. Prick the dough all over with a fork and freeze until firm, 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line the frozen pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Remove the paper and bake for 15 minutes longer, until the shell is golden. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely, 3 hours.
3. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350º F. In a blender, combine the Meyer lemon, superfine sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into the tart shell. Bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set. Transfer the tart to a rack and let cool to room temperature, 3 hours. Serve at room temperature or chilled.