The (Not So Lazy) Lemon Tart

Two things attracted to me to this recipe initially.  One, the name.  The original name was Lazy Mary’s Lemon Tart.  Any recipe with the word “lazy” in it will get my attention.  And, two, the filling was mixed in a blender.  (I guess using a blender is how Mary got her lazy reputation.)  More on why these two points are relevant later.

If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know I’m a fan of Joy the Baker.  That’s where I was introduced to this recipe.  In her blog, Joy substituted some fruit I’d never heard of (nor could I find at the store).  I went into making this tart thinking I would substitute tangerines for the lemon but then reconsidered and decided it needed a little more punch than you’d get from tangerines.  (I’ll just have to settle for drinking my tangerines.)

Meyer lemons are currently in season, so those little wonderful football-shaped citrus became my fruit of choice for the tart.  (The original recipe called for using Meyer lemons as well.)

The pastry in the original recipe is great, although it’s enough like a pie crust to provide this crust-challenged baker with a moment or two of fear.  I found, the second time I made it, it works best if you can chill the crust for several hours or overnight.  And, for the record, if there’s anything lazy about making this tart, it happens after you make the crust.  The crust has a few essential steps (as Joy pointed out in her blog, and I trust her because she is called Joy the Baker).

Then came the filling.  Remember that lazy filling I mentioned earlier?  Well, not only do you use a blender but the original recipe invited me to just throw all the filling ingredients into my blending contraption and whirl away.  Meaning, cut the lemon into chunks and toss it in, peel, rind, pulp, seeds and all.  And, I have to tell you this.  I could not do it.  I stood there, looking at my whole lemon, and could not fathom the idea of all its parts becoming the base for my delicious filling.  So, I retreated and came up with Plan B.

I zested and then juiced the lemon.  So much for being lazy.  But, I did add the zest and juice to the other ingredients in the blender (including cream cheese, which wasn’t in the original recipe) and was quite pleased with the results.  And, I have to admit,  the effort of pushing the “puree” button on the blender was simple enough that I did feel slightly lazy.

The result?  Scrumptious.  The crust is a perfect base and the filling has a wonderful texture and flavor.  The first time we served it to guests, I cut everyone a slice and we politely ate off the plates it was served on.  The next night, I just put the remaining tart in the middle of the table and we all sliced off slivers and ate them until the thing disappeared.

We topped it with whipping cream, but the tart can stand alone with just a dusting of powdered sugar.  As our friend pointed out, with spring just around the corner, this tart would be an ideal dessert for Easter with some fresh berries.

Because I found that there really is some effort that goes into making this dessert, I’ve changed the name to simply “Lemon Tart.”  Sorry, Mary.

Happy Entertaining!

Get your butter and shortening very cold by putting it in the freezer:

Add ice to your water to get it good and cold:

Pulse the dough ingredients until it looks like this:

And then add water until the dough forms into a ball:

Place the dough in Ziploc baggie and put it in the refrigerator to chill:

Roll the dough and ease the it into the tart pan, and then trim:

Prick the dough with a fork and then place it in the freezer:

Before baking, cover with parchment paper and add pie weights:

Juice the lemon for the filling:

Put all the filling ingredients in a blender:

Easy way to remove the tart from the pan after baking:

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