TARTE AU CITROEN

I MADE this tart a few months ago. It was a big hit. The dusting with confectioner's sugar with a stenciled form (in this case, the Sword of Santiago) is dramatic and never fails to elicit a gasp or two when presented at table! You know who you are!

The pastry dough (pate sucre):

4 cups flour

2 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg and 1 egg yolk beaten

Put all contents into the canister of a food processor and pulse until everything is mixed and then turn the machine on until the dough becomes one mass and rolls around the sides of the canister collecting all bits and pieces. The canister should be fairly clean around the dough.

Put the ball of dough on a floured surface and with your hands, smear the dough a bit at a time to flatten it out. Roll it up back into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (I make the dough the night before or several hours before I'm going to make the tart.

 

Roll out the dough on a floured surface. You want the dough to be much larger than the tart pan. When the dough is about 1/8 inch thin, roll the dough around the rolling pin and lift and unroll it over a 9-1/2" tart pan. Trim the edges and press the doughly firmly but gently into the pan without breaking the surface. Gently prick the dough with the tines of a fork. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a round piece big enough to lift out of the pan. Place the paper in the tart pan over the dough and pour about 2 cups dried beans or rice into the parchment insert. Bake in a 450º oven for about 15 minutes. You want the edges to be slightly golden. Take out of the oven. Remove the paper with the filling and allow to cool. 

Lower the oven temperature to 300º

For the filling:

 

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

the grated zest from one lemon

6 tablespoons lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

confectioner's sugar

 

Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the sugar and mix for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should turn pale yellow. Beat in the lemon zest, juice and the cream.

 

Pour lemon mixture into the tart pan and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. The custard should be set. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Place a stencil design of your choice in the middle of the tart and sprinkle confectioner's sugar over entire surface. 

 

There are several variations to this recipe. You can make it with limes or oranges. And if you really want to gild the lily and enter the shocking world of sugar, you can decorate it with slices of candied oranges! 

Ou la la!