Lemon Curd Tart With Pecan Citrus Sauce Recipes

LEMON CURD TART

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.
• Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.

LEMON CURD

Steps:

• Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
• Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

LEMON CURD TART WITH PECAN-CITRUS SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice and lemon zest. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Set the bowl over the boiling water, reduce the heat to moderate and cook, whisking the lemon mixture constantly, until thickened, about 12 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the cubed butter. Fill the crust with the warm lemon curd and refrigerate until the curd is firm enough to cut, about 3 hours.
• Using a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, lemon and lime, removing the bitter white pith. Cut in between the membranes to release the citrus sections. In a medium skillet, melt the remaining stick of butter. Add the pecans and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Grand Marnier. Return the skillet to the heat and carefully ignite the liquid with a long match. When the flames subside, add the sugar and water mixture and boil until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the cream and salt and boil for 1 minute.
• Just before serving, stir the fruit sections into the sauce. Cut the tart into wedges and serve with the sauce.
• Make Ahead
• The tart can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.