Lemon Cookie Tarts Recipes

PILLSBURY LEMON TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease 24 small tart pans or miniature muffin cups.
• Remove cookie dough from wrapper.
• Place 1 rounded teaspoon of dough in each tart pan; gently press in bottom and up side.
• Place tart pans on cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350°F for 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool 1 minute; carefully remove cookie tart shells from tart pans and place on wire racks.
• Grate peel from lemon (about 4 to 5 teaspoons); set aside.
• Squeeze juice from lemon, adding water if necessary to equal 1/4 cup; place in 2-quart saucepan.
• Stir in sugar and butter.
• Heat over medium heat until butter is melted.
• Remove from heat; stir in beaten eggs. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
• Stir in lemon peel. Cool slightly, about 15 minutes. (Lemon filling can be refrigerated at this point until ready to serve).
• To serve, spoon about 1 tablespoon lemon filling into each cookie tart; place on serving plate.* Garnish as desired.

TARTEST LEMON TART

Steps:

• Crust: Put the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the yolk is in, process in long pulses-about 10 seconds each-until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing. This is done by smearing the butter pieces into the flour using the heel of your hand-a French technique called "fraisage."
• Flatten dough into a disc and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough, rotating it ⅛ of a turn at a time and rolling until it's just bigger than the tart pan.
• Butter the tart pan. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Using a fork, give the crust a few pricks and freeze for at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Parbake the crust: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against the crust. Add pie weights on top of the foil to keep the crust flat as it bakes. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes.
• The filling: Cut the lemons into small pieces and remove the seeds. Put the lemons and sugar in a blender or food processor and pulse, blending and scraping down the sides until you have a smooth mix. Add the remaining filling ingredients and pulse and blend on low speed until the filling is homogeneous. Tap the bowl on the counter several times to "de-bubble" the filling as much as possible.
• Remove the tart shell from the oven and carefully remove the foil and pie weights. Place back in the oven for 8-10 minutes to lightly brown. Remove the tart and patch any cracks with the leftover dough. Cool and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Bake the tart: Stir the filling, then pour it into the tart shell. Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. (Total baking time is 45-50 minutes.) When the tart is properly baked, it should be set, although perhaps still shaky in the center, and most of the top will have formed a light sugary crust. (Don't be alarmed if the tart has bubbled over the edge of the tart-that's okay.) After cooling the tart to room temperature, set the tart on top of a sturdy can so the ring can drop away. Place on a dish and serve.

THE BEST LEMON TART EVER

Steps:

• Combine butter, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer; mix ingredients thoroughly with a paddle attachment. Mix flour into butter mixture to make a smooth dough. Press dough into a 9-inch tart pan; refrigerate crust for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake crust until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Whisk sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup flour in a bowl until smooth. Pour lemon filling into crust. Cover edges of crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake tart until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar.

LEMON COOKIE TARTS

Steps:

• In food processor pulse sugar, powdered sugar and butter till creamy. Can be done with electric beaters as well.
• Mix rest of ingredients except lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk, mix until a smooth dough is formed.
• Chill 15 minutes wrapped in plastic wrap.
• Spray mini muffin tins with Pam.
• Measure 1 Tbsp of dough.
• Roll into ball place one in each hole of mini tart pan.
• Using your thumb make a centre with the dough making sure that the dough in uniform size all around and not to thin on the top.
• Bake at 350°F for 9 minutes or until dough is slightly firm but not set. They may close up during cooking.
• Remove tart shells from oven working quickly and using the back of a rounded 1/2 tsp measuring spoon gently press a shallow indentation in each shell. (Don't let them cool or it will be harder to get them to form a shell).
• Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until edges of shells are firm and golden.
• Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
• Carefully remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack, if they need more shaping you can do that now.
• Cool completely before filling. Can be made to this point and frozen (but thaw to room temp before filling).
• For the filling mix together purchased or homemade lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk.
• Put a small amount of powdered sugar in a sieve and shake a little on the top of each tart, garnish with a long piece of lemon zest.

LEMON COOKIE TARTS

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the vanilla and 1 egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in 2 cups flour and the salt. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat all filling ingredients except powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with wire whisk. Cover; refrigerate.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 48 mini muffin cups, 1 3/4 x1 inch, with cooking spray. Shape dough into 48 one-inch balls. Place 1 ball in each muffin cup. Press dough into bottom and up side of cups. Spoon slightly less than 1 tablespoon filling into each cup.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until centers are puffed and edges are light brown. Cool in pan 30 minutes. With tip of knife, lift tarts from muffin cups to wire rack; cool completely. Just before serving, sprinkle tarts with powdered sugar.