I had a bit of fun playing with pie pastry when I was making there tarts, but if you do not have time for that, you can use purchased frozen tarts. They work very well too. These "sweet" little lemon tarts
tell someone that you wanted to make something special for them.
Ingredients:
Crust: (or you favorite - great options on this blog)
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 2/3 cups shortening
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks (yolk determines final color- free range eggs have darker yolks)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice ( about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup butter
Crust:
- Cut shortening into flour and salt until crumbly. Stir in water, using fork and stir until combined. Shape into ball with a gentle quick knead. Divide in half. Roll out thinner than for pie crust.
- Each half should make about 10 - 12 tarts. To determine the size of cutter, measure the tart/muffin cup, going down, across and up. I used mini tins and the cut-outs a little larger than the measurement. This allowed for a bit of folding to create the flower effect, which is totally optional. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes.
- In a small pot, mix sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks until well blended.
- Stir in lemon juice and water.
- Heat on low-medium heat, stirring the whole time until mixture comes to boil and continue cooking, stirring hard for about a minute, until mixture is thick and smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter, one Tbsp at a time.
- Cover with cling wrap. It is easiest to fill the tarts while filling is still warm. Refrigerate tarts. To keep crispy, do not cover. Just before serving, dust with icing sugar for a pretty effect.
A nice gift idea is to pour the hot lemon cheese into a sterilized, still hot, canning jar. Seal with new clean lid and allow to cool. When you hear the pop it is sealed. Wrap it up as a gift for a favorite cook. It's great on pancakes or lemon buns. (This recipe makes enough to fill 20 - 24 mini tarts or one 8 oz jar. Recipe doubles nicely too. Store in refrigerator.