There's Very Little " Wiggle-Room" in Baking

Meyer Lemon Tart sprinkled with chocolate.

I know how important it is to use the size of pan called for in a recipe when baking.  Yet I had heard a reference to a recipe for a Meyer Lemon Tart on Here and Now on NPR.  I had gone home and "googled" the recipe because I had some Meyer Lemons on hand that I wanted to use.  The recipe called for a 9-inch tart pan.  I only had a 10-inch so I thought I could adjust the cooking time a bit and it might work. *

Meyer Lemon Tart

Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup room temperature butter, cut into small pieces, plus butter for greasing the pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting the pan
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Meyer or regular lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
Instructions:
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
In a large bowl whisk the flour and sugar. Add the butter and using your fingers or a pastry cutter blend the butter into the flour and sugar mixture until crumbly. Press the
mixture into the bottom and sides of the tart pan.

Dough pressed into pan and ready to bake.

Bake on the middle shelf for around 20 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn golden.

Tart shell baked and ready to fill.

Remove from the oven and place on a cookie or baking sheet.
Make the filling: Whisk the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.

Making the filling.

 Pour over the hot crust and place the tart back on the middle shelf.

Filling poured over the crust and ready to go back into the oven.

 Bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until the center seems set when you lightly jiggle the tart. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Baked and chocolate dusted on top.

  To remove the rim, place on cylinder of some kind (I used one of my canisters) and the rim falls out of the way.

Serves 6 to 8. 

I had to spread the crust a little thinner because of the 10-inch pan and the filling was not as thick.  Although I adjusted the cooking time to 20 minutes, the filling was a bit overcooked and, of course a bit thin.

It was certainly edible, and Dan thought there was nothing wrong with it, but I knew it could have been better had I used the right size pan.  

*I'm going out this week and buy a 9-inch tart pan, because most of the recipes for tarts call for an 8 or 9-inch pan, and I do want to try this recipe again using the right size pan. 

Lemon Ice-Cream Pie

Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie (Photo from Southern Living magazine).

This is a recipe I adapted from one in the August 2011 Southern Living Magazine.
magazine, although I did not top my pie with meringue.

I used a ready-prepared graham cracker crust to which I added an edge of vanilla wafers.

For the bottom layer I used a pint of vanilla ice cream that had been softened to spread easily.

Bottom layer of vanilla ice cream.

While the bottom layer was refreezing, I made the lemon curd* and let it cool. Before spreading the second layer, one and a half cups of lemon curd, I placed a row of vanilla wafers around the edge of the crust.

Second layer of lemon curd.

The pie went back into the freezer for an hour and then I added the top layer, a pint of softened vanilla ice cream.  I did not swirl the lemon curd and the ice cream together as suggested in the Southern Living recipe.  I wanted to have three distinct layers in the pie. Nor did I top with meringue, but sprinkled vanilla wafer crumbs on top.  I let the pie freeze overnight before cutting.

Finished Lemon Ice-Cream Pie.

Ready to eat!

This is very easy to make and is quite delicious.  It can be made a day or so in advance.  This recipe is a keeper for me. Hint: It is helpful to let the pie warm up just a bit before slicing.  Leave the pie at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, and it will slice more easily.  Slice the entire pie, use what you need, and freeze the remaining pieces.  It will keep for at least two weeks, and it will be easy to remove individual slices as you need them.

Remaining pie sliced and ready to eat when needed.  Will keep frozen for at least two weeks.

* Recipe for lemon curd:
 
Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons) (I used Meyer lemons).
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter melts.
2. Whisk about one-fourth of hot sugar mixture gradually into eggs; add egg mixture to remaining hot sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon. Remove from heat; cool completely (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Southern Living AUGUST 2011 

Meyer lemons.