Meyer Lemon Tartlet

It wasn't until around 2004 that I actually heard of a Meyer lemon.  I was a Marketing Manager at Peet's Coffee, and the Bar Manager, who was also responsible for managing our pastry and baked goods products, came to me to say that we had the chance to sell a Meyer lemon bar and whether I had any ideas on how to market it.  I think I furrowed my brow and asked "what's so special about a Meyer Lemon bar?"  So little did I know.

Meyer lemons are actual a hybrid between a regular lemon and either a mandarin or an orange.  They are so sweet, you can even take a bite of one and not feel the typical pang of sour that biting into a regular lemon often provides.  They are grown in California’s Central Valley, south of Fresno and in the Sacramento Valley and they have a shorter growing season, from December - February, than regular lemons.  This probably accounts for the fact that they are three times more costly as a regular lemon.  According to wikipedia:

It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs, such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, during the California Cuisine revolution.

Today this popularity gives fans a chance to revel in this splendid fruit when it's in season.

My bite of a Meyer lemon

To celebrate its availability, I decided to challenge my cooking skills by making Meyer Lemon Tartlets.  I will say this is not a simple recipe as there are quite a few distinctive steps that include making the shells, the candied peel, and of course the lemon cream. 

I've attempted to convert the ingredient weights from ounces into more commonly used American measures (but have left the original weights in parenthesis in case you want to do your own math).

If you cannot find fine sugar at the store, you can food-process regular sugar for a minute or so.

Almond flour is nothing but ground almonds.  If you cannot find it at a store (I couldn't), you can make your own.  I put some blanched almonds (you don't want the skin) in a food processor for a minute, checked to make sure it was not emulsifying into almond butter, and processed it as fine as I could.

Lastly, you'll need tartlet pans.  You can find these at a store such as Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table.

Meyer Lemon Tartlet (makes 8)

Ingredients
Crust

• 2 cups (8-3/4 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (1 oz) almond flour
• 1-1/3 (5-1/3 oz) stick butter, soft
• 2/3 (3 oz) Cup confectioner's sugar

Candied Lemon Peels

• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup water
• 2 Meyer Lemons for the peel

Lemon Cream

• 5 Meyer lemons, zest and juice
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar (8 oz)
• 17.5 Tbs (8-3/4 oz) butter, at room temperature

Preparation
Crust

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl.  Add salt in the middle;
2. Add the soft butter and make a crumble using the tips of your fingers;
3. Make a hole in the middle and add the confectioner's sugar and almond flour; 
4. Add the egg, working the dough with the tips of your fingers still;
5. Make a ball with the dough and place it in plastic wrap;
6. Put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours;
7. Roll the dough and place it into greased molds.  Make little holes with a fork;
8. Cover the dough with pieces of parchment paper covered with weights, such as beans or rice;
9. Cook in a preheated oven at 325 F for about 20 minutes;
10. Remove the paper and continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes;
11. Remove from the oven and cook on a rack.

Candied Lemon Peels

1. Peel the lemons and slice them into matchstick size pieces;
2. Boil the lemon sticks in water for 3 minutes.  Repeat 3 times, changing the water each time;
3. Make a simple syrup with the water and sugar.  Combine in a sauce pan and heat to a gentle boil;
4. Add lemon sticks and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium to low heat.

Lemon Cream

1. Place sugar in a large bowl;
2. Zest the lemons on top of the sugar;
3. Mix the sugar and zest with the tips of your fingers;
4. Squeeze the juice from the lemons.  It should provide about 3/4 cups;
5. Add the eggs and lemon juice to the lemon sugar and whisk well;
6. Place the lemon cream mixture over a pot of simmering water and allow the cream to thicken without touching it.  It is ready when it coats a wooden spoon;
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little bit;
8. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the lemon cream.  Mix with the tips of your fingers until the butter is melted.  Then mix with a hand mixer (or by hand) to lighten the cream, about 5 minutes;
9. Spoon the lemon cream into cooled crusts to level.  Add the candied peels on top;
10. Let cool before serving.

Comments

[Marissa]

What a labor of love. They look yummy though. I have a co-worker who went to school to become a pastry chef and says that it's easier to just buy frozen pre-formed shells (gasp!), bake them, fill them with lemon curd and top with berries. Maybe so, but it seems sacrilege.

Thanks for sharing. I may want to try this.