Crumbly Lemon Cream Tart

Name: Crumbly Lemon Cream Tart
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups; Butter cold 14 tbsp; Powdered sugar 1.1 cups; Eggs (about 1 medium) 2 oz; Lemon peel to taste; Fine salt 1 pinch; Whole milk 3 cups; Sugar 12 tbsp; Egg yolks about 4 medium 2.6 oz; Type 00 flour 4 ½ tbsp; Potato starch 3.8 tbsp; Lemon juice 2 tbsp; Powdered sugar to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 8
Cost: Low
Note + the chilling times in the fridge for the cream and the pastry

PRESENTATION

Crumbly Lemon Cream Tart gets its name from the thing that matters most: a butter-rich pasta frolla so short and tender it nearly dissolves at the edge of a fork. The filling is a smooth, velvety lemon pastry cream brightened with both lemon zest and lemon juice, and the whole tart is finished with a diamond-cut lattice and a dusting of powdered sugar that makes it look considerably more demanding than it is.

The contrast between the two layers is what keeps every bite interesting — the pastry crumbles while the filling holds, citrus-bright and creamy at once. That balance is built into the structure of the thing, not coaxed out of it, and the diamond lattice on top earns its place without adding much work.

INGREDIENTS

For the shortcrust pastry (for an 11 x 8 in pan): Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups (320 g); Butter 14 tbsp (200 g) - cold; Powdered sugar 1.1 cups (130 g); Eggs 2 oz (55 g) - (about 1 medium); Lemon peel to taste; Fine salt 1 pinch

For the filling: Whole milk 3 cups (700 g); Sugar 12 tbsp (150 g); Egg yolks 2.6 oz (75 g) - about 4 medium; Type 00 flour 4 ½ tbsp (35 g); Potato starch 3.8 tbsp (30 g); Lemon juice 2 tbsp (30 g)

For dusting: Powdered sugar to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Crumbly Lemon Cream Tart

To prepare the crumbly lemon cream tart, start with the pastry cream: squeeze the lemon juice and heat the milk in a small saucepan. In a separate bowl, add the egg yolks and the sugar 1 and whisk them together 2. Once you have a smooth mixture, add the strained lemon juice 3.

Also add the starch 4 and the flour 5 and incorporate the dry ingredients with the whisk 6.

Now pour the hot milk little by little 7, stirring constantly with the whisk 8. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan 9.

Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the cream has thickened 10. Pour the cream into a shallow dish that you have previously chilled in the freezer 11. Level the surface and cover with plastic wrap directly on the cream 12. Let it cool slightly at room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator to firm up.

Meanwhile, prepare the shortcrust pastry: in a bowl place the flour and the cold butter cut into cubes 13, then add a pinch of salt 14 and the grated lemon zest 15.

Work with your fingertips until you obtain a crumbly mixture 16, then add the powdered sugar 17 and the egg 18.

Knead quickly with your hands, first in the bowl 19 and then on the work surface 20, until you form a compact, homogeneous dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap 21 and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

After the pastry has rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 in (3 mm) 22. Transfer the pastry to an 11 x 8 in pan 23 and press it to adhere to both the base and the sides. Trim the excess pastry with a small knife 34 and keep the scraps.

Prick the base with a fork 25. Take the cream from the refrigerator and stir to soften it, then pour it into the shortcrust shell 26 and level the surface 27.

Now knead the pastry scraps again and roll them out to the same thickness, then cut diamond shapes with a fluted pastry wheel 28. Place the diamonds diagonally over the surface of the tart, first in one direction 29 and then in the other. Bake in a preheated static (conventional) oven at 338°F for about 50 minutes 30.

When the shortcrust is golden, remove from the oven and let cool completely 31. Finally, dust with powdered sugar to taste 32. Your crumbly lemon cream tart is ready to be enjoyed 33!