Lemon Tart

Bright, tangy lemon curd in a buttery, crisp pastry shell. This dessert is sunshine on a plate, perfect for any time of year but especially welcome in spring, when you're ready for something fresh and bright after the heaviness of winter desserts.

The key to a good lemon tart is balance. The lemon curd needs to be tart enough to be interesting but not so tart that it makes you pucker. The pastry needs to be crisp and buttery, a perfect contrast to the smooth, creamy curd.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2-3 tablespoons ice water

For the lemon curd:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• Zest of 2 lemons

Instructions

Start with the pastry. Combine the flour and sugar, then cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the egg yolk and enough ice water to bring the dough together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least an hour.

Roll out the pastry and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan. Prick the bottom with a fork, line with parchment and pie weights, and blind bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for another 10 minutes until golden. Let it cool completely.

For the lemon curd, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure it's perfectly smooth, then pour it into the cooled pastry shell.

Chill the tart for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The curd will set to a smooth, creamy consistency that's firm enough to slice but still soft and luscious.

Serve cold, maybe with a dollop of whipped cream or a few fresh berries. The tartness of the lemon is balanced by the sweetness of the sugar and the richness of the butter, creating a dessert that's bright and refreshing but also deeply satisfying.

This is the kind of dessert that makes people's eyes light up. It's elegant but approachable, sophisticated but not fussy. And that bright lemon flavor is like a burst of sunshine, perfect for when you need a little light in your life.