Best 6 Classic Shaker Lemon Tarts Recipes

LEMON TART RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the lemon curd: In a medium heatproof bowl, place eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and heavy cream, if using, and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Cook on moderate heat, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick (mine was ready in 10 minutes, but it can take up to 20). If you have a thermometer, it should register 170°F/75°C; otherwise, it should coat the back of a wooden spoon and leave a clear pass if you run your finger through it. The curd will thicken more once cooled.
• Remove from heat and immediately strain mixture through a sieve. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, and whisk until completely melted and incorporated, and mixture is smooth. Take your time with it-the whisking makes for an airy and light texture. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling the tart. (Lemon curd can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, place overnight in the fridge. Whisk the mixture to smoothen it before using.)
• Fill the tart shell with lemon curd, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until chilled. Serve with berries and whipped cream if you like. The tart is rich, so cut your servings small.

SHAKER LEMON PIE

Steps:

• Wash and cut 2 of the lemons into paper-thin slices. It is very important to slice the lemons as thinly as possible; use a very sharp knife or an electric meat slicer, if on is available. Remove peel and pith of remaining lemons; slice the flesh very, very thinly, and put it with the other slices in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, and toss well to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let the mixture rest overnight, stirring occasionally.
• The next day, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Press one circle of pastry into an 11-inch pie plate and chill.
• Add beaten eggs to the lemon mixture, and mix well. Turn mixture into prepared pie shell, neatly arranging some of the lemon slices on top. Cut long, even slashes 1 inch apart in the other pastry round, and place on top of filling. Crimp edges of the pie to seal. Brush top and edges with egg-white glaze. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and shiny. Let cool on a rack before serving.

SHAKER LEMON TART

Steps:

• The day before serving, prepare the filling. Wash and dry the lemons. Freeze them for 10 minutes and then slice them as finely as you can using a mandoline, meat slicer or very sharp knife. As you slice, pull out and discard any seeds. Place the lemons in a mixing bowl and toss with the sugar. Cover with a dish towel and set on the counter overnight.
• The next day, prepare the pastry: combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, work half of the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Quickly work the remaining butter into the dough until the biggest pieces are the size of lima beans. Drizzle in the water in several additions, tossing and mixing between each. (It should look rather ropy and rough.) Stop adding water when a few bits of dry flour remain in the bottom of the bowl; do not overwork the dough or it will become tough. Gather the dough into 2 balls and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap, then flatten into disks. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Unwrap a disk of dough, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll into a 9-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Trim the excess dough. Lay it on a cookie sheet, cover and refrigerate. Roll the second disk into an 11-inch circle, 1/8-inch thick. Trim the excess dough. Gently place the larger circle in a 9-inch tart pan, letting the excess dough rise up the sides (do not trim). Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Using your hands, mix the eggs, flour and butter into the lemon-sugar mixture, squeezing the lemons as you mix. Pour the mixture into the dough-lined tart pan to just below the pan's rim. Using the point of a paring knife, carve 4 to 6 holes in the crust of the small dough circle. Lay it on top of the filling. Roughly fold the edges of the bottom crust over the top circle. Brush with milk. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.

SHAKER LEMON PIE

Steps:

• In a large glass bowl, combine lemons, sugar and salt. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature., Preheat oven to 450°. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet. Trim even with rim. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy; lightly brush over crust. Add lemon mixture, flour and vanilla to eggs; mix well. Pour into crust. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top., Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 400°. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes longer. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 10 if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack; serve warm.

MEYER LEMON TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: in the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and the milk, and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture, stirring until completely blended. Gather dough into two balls. Freeze one for future use, chill the other for at least 1 hour.
• Heavily butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Prick the bottom with a fork, and place the shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• While shell is in freezer, prepare lemon curd. Grate zest of lemons. Squeeze lemons to extract 1 cup of juice. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and zest. Add remaining sugar, butter and salt. Place over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted.
• In bowl of a mixer, combine eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add hot lemon mixture to eggs until blended. Return mixture to saucepan, and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency; do not allow it to boil. Remove from heat, and continue to stir to stop the cooking. Strain lemon curd into a bowl. Adjust sugar to taste; the curd should be tart, but may need additional sugar if the lemons were unripe. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it right against the surface of the curd. Allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart shell from freezer, and bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Spoon lemon curd into tart shell, and smooth the top. Bake until filling has puffed around the edges, about 30 minutes. Cover edges with foil, if necessary, to prevent over-browning. Cool to room temperature before serving.

CLASSIC SHAKER LEMON TARTS

Steps:

• Cut lemons crosswise into paper-thin rounds using a mandoline or a very sharp knife; discard ends and seeds. Place lemon slices in a medium nonreactive bowl, and add sugar; toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into seven 6-inch rounds. Fit rounds into 4 1/2-inch round tart pans with removable bottoms. Trim edges flush with tops. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; freeze until firm, 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lower third. Add eggs to lemon mixture, and stir to combine. Pour through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Divide liquid among tart shells, then top with the lemon slices, arranging decoratively.
• Bake tarts on baking sheet 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, bake until filling is set and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove tarts from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.