Lemon Poppyseed Tarts

There is something immensely satisfying about a well made tartlet, the crisp buttery edges of the shell enveloping a luscious filling. But it’s the package as a whole that holds the promise of contentment. Small and delightful, just the right amount of sweetness, contrasting textures, and lovely to eat.

This tartlet does not disappoint, it’s the classic pairing of lemon with poppyseeds. The pate sable is simple to make, with the addition of poppyseeds and a little almond flour for flavor and texture. And the lemon curd is bright, sharp and has the maximum of fresh lemon juice that can still be held together and gel properly when it sets. A little whipped cream is all you need as a foil for presentation here, maybe a dusting of confectioner’s sugar too.

While this tart looks complex, it’s really a matter of learning a few tricks, the proper preparation of components and understanding time and temperature in baking. For example, pate sable is very heat sensitive, so chilling the dough right before baking helps the tart shells keep their shape. And when assembling, the tart shells must be made and cooled before you make the lemon curd filling, so that the still hot, liquid lemon curd can be pour directly into the shell, making a beautifully smooth surface.

A note on ingredients: Poppyseeds will go rancid very quickly. As soon as you open the package of poppyseeds and use them, store the remaining seeds in your freezer until the next use. For this reason, I never buy poppyseeds bulk. Penzey’s Spices and Bob’s Red Mill are both reputable companies that sell quality poppyseeds.

Almond meal will also go rancid quickly, so I always store it, well sealed, in the freezer.

This recipe will make 3 1/2 cups of lemon curd which is more than you need for 6-7 tartlets. For me this is not a problem, I pour the remaining lemon curd into a Mason jar and keep it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. It’s perfect on pancakes, for filling cupcakes or even on toast with a few blueberries on top.

Lemon Poppyseed Tarts

Yield: 6-7 tartlets

Time: active 60 minutes, resting 1-2 hours

Ingredients:

For the tart shells:

3/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons/125 grams all purpose flour, unbleached

1/3 cup/30 grams almond flour

1/4 cup/30 grams confectioner’s sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 stick/1/2 cup/110 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

1 Tablespoon/10 grams poppyseeds

1 egg yolk

1 Tablespoon Amaretto di Soreno, or ice cold water

For the lemon curd:

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon/232 grams granulated sugar

3/4 cups/175 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-5 lemons)

Zest of 1 lemon

4 large eggs

5 Tablespoons/70 grams unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

To serve:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold

2 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Special equipment:

Tartlet molds (6-8)

Small paper coffee filters, or parchment paper

Baking beans

1 Quart measuring cup or pitcher

Directions:

Make the tartlet shells:

I learned to make pate sable by hand and I still do it that way. Measure the flour, almond meal, confectioner’s sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir the ingredients with your fingers. Toss in the cubed butter, begin to rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers (you can also use a pastry knife here if you like). Keep rubbing the butter into the flour until it is crumbly and there are no large spots of butter left.

Now add the poppyseeds (this way they don’t get crushed) and the egg yolk and Amaretto (or ice water). Use efficient turns of your hands to incorporate the wet ingredient so they are evenly distributed and a somewhat sticky dough comes together.

Gather the dough into a ball and scrape out of the bowl onto a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place another piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap on top of the ball and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle about 1/2” thick.

Transfer to the refrigerator and let rest and chill for 30 to 60 minutes. You want the dough cold enough so it doesn’t melt as you work, but not so cold it breaks apart. While the dough is resting, prepare the tart molds. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the molds. During this time you can also zest the lemons and make the lemon juice, and measure out the ingredients for the lemon curd.

When the dough is properly chilled remove it from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Roll the dough to about 1/8” thickness (it’s okay to use a ruler or tape measure, I often do to check my work). Use a sharp pairing knife to cut the dough into rounds about 1” diameter wider than the tart molds (eyeball this, just use your best guess or it will take forever). I got about 4-5 rounds from the first roll, gather the scraps and roll again to cut the remaining rounds. If the dough gets warm at all during this process, flatten the scraps, wrap in parchment or plastic and return to the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Tracing around the tartlet mold with a pairing knife.

Now form the rounds of dough into the tart molds. Gently lift the dough into the mold so it is center then press gently into the bottom and sides. There will be excess dough above the rim of the mold, use a sharp knife to trim it level with the mold.

Chill the dough before baking. Line the dough formed tart molds up on a baking tray and return to the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Blind bake the tart shells. Remove the chilled dough lined tart molds from the refrigerator. I do not like to dock my tart shells, this means to prick the bottom of the tart with a fork. I find that the weight of the baking beans prevents the dough from puffing during baking and that by docking the dough, you leave tiny holes that liquid fillings can seep through. Place a small coffee filter in each tart mold and fill with enough baking beans to be level with the rim of the mold. The weight of the beans, the buttered sides of the mold and the chilled dough will all work to keep the tart dough from slumping down the side of the mold as it bakes.

Bake the shells for 15 minutes. Pull the tray from the oven and carefully remove the coffee filters and baking beans then return the tart shells to the oven. Bake an additional 6-8 minutes. The sides will be golden brown and the bottoms should be firm and dry looking. Cool the shells on a cooling rack until cool enough to touch, then gently turn them over to remove them from the molds. Let them cool completely. At this point the tart shells can be used right away or can be stored in a well sealed container at room temperature for up to 1-2 days if you want to “get ahead”.

When you are ready to assemble the tartlets, make the lemon curd. Set a medium saucepan filled with about an inch of water to simmer on the stove. In a heat resistant medium size bowl, combine the sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest and give it a whisk to get the sugar melting. Crack the eggs into a clear measure (always a good idea so you can pick out accidental pieces of shell), and whisk the eggs to break them up a bit. Add the eggs to the lemon mixture and place the bowl over the pot of simmering water. Do not let the eggs sit in the sugar/lemon juice without stirring because they will “burn” and start to curdle.

Whisk the curd over the simmering water until the mixture thickens to a pudding like consistency and it holds the lines of the whisk, this will take about 4-5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and while whisking constantly, add the pieces of cold butter. Add one piece of butter and whisk until it completely disappears before adding the next (this is technically an emulsion, adding fat to an acid). When all of the butter has been added, pour the lemon curd into the quart measuring cup or pitcher.

Line the tart shells up on a flat surface, like a parchment lined countertop or cutting board, or the cooling rack. While the lemon curd is still hot and very liquid-y, pour the lemon curd into the center of each tart shell. Go slowly so you get an even, smooth surface and use a towel to catch drips in between each tart.

Filling the tartlet shells with hot lemon curd

Let the lemon curd cool to room temperature and serve immediately. Or the tartlets can be refrigerated in a well-sealed container for up to 3 days. After that, the tart shell begins to absorb the moisture from the curd and the texture is not great.

To serve, whip the heavy cream with the confectioner’s sugar until soft peaks are formed and dollop the top of the tartlets. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if you like.

The End.

Bourbon Frosted Spice Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Icebox Cake