Lemony, sweet, tangy, with a buttery twist, all baked up altogether, in a flaky crust. Holy schmokin' doodle whackers, this changes everything!
TOP TEN REASONS TO MAKE LEMON BUTTER TARTS
10. They're easy peasy to make.
9. Everyone will exclaim, "What?!! LEMON Butter Tarts??!"
8. Old fashioned Butter Tarts will secretly pay homage to your cleverness.
7. Lemony goodness and flaky pastry are long-time best friends.
6. Family and friends eyes will instantly sparkle as soon as they take their first bite.
5. Anytime you serve Lemon Butter Tarts you'll smile out loud.
4. They're deliciously ambrosial in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
3. They'll quickly become one of your favorite desserts to make.
2. You'll be in the running to win the coveted LEMON GOODNESS award.
1. Making them is as much fun as eating them.
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I daresay these Lemon Butter Tarts have already become
a Classic at our house. Yup!
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Big, big, warm Thanks to the Closet Cooking Food Blog
for this deliciousness, for The Last Wonton.
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LEMON BUTTER TARTS ~ Makes 12
Your favorite pastry for a Single Pie crust, chilled. Or here's my fave…..
JUDI'S PASTRY
This recipe makes enough for a double crust pie. Bonus! You get to keep enough pastry for single crust pie in the fridge, for a bit, until you feel like conjuring up a pie, or, oh yeah, another batch of Lemon Butter Tarts!
2 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 good teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cold lard, cubed
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water
1 tablespoon vinegar
FILLING
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
Pinch of salt
For Pastry: In medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt and sugar until evenly combined. Using pastry blender, or your hands, work in lard until mixture resembles fairly fine crumbs, with a few larger pieces, and is all happily plied with the lard, and moist. Add ice water and vinegar and stir like crazy with a fork, or of course, your hands, until dough clumps together.
Divide in half. Press half the dough into disk on floured surface. Roll out the dough, evenly, to about 1/8 inch thickness, turning and flouring to keep from sticking, if necessary. Cut into 12, 3-4 inch rounds. Gently place the rounds into a 12-cup tart (or muffin) tin, coaxing dough, tenderly, into perfect little tart shells. Chill while making the filling.
(Put the rest of the dough into a baggie, or wrap well with saran and refrigerate until you figure out what you want to make next with the rest of the dough. Use within a week, or freeze for later.)
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F.
For Filling: In medium bowl, mix, mix, mix, or whisk, whisk, whisk, the lemon juice, zest, sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter and salt, until happily well combined. Pour the mixture, evenly, into the tart shells.
Bake in preheated 350F. oven, about 18-20 minutes until set. Smile as you take them out of the oven. Let cool, and sprinkle with a bit of icing sugar if it suits your fancy. Told you they'd make you smile.