A Lemony Dessert to Remember…… Meyer Lemon Love!
This week my friend Josh bought some special lemons at Trader Joe's in Montgomery county. I was filled with envy, lemon envy to be exact! He inspired me to post on these very lemons, Meyer Lemons.
My brother Robert lives in Texas, below Houston. He had a good sized lemon tree in his yard and every December for the past few years he has sent me a box of lemons. Meyer lemons to be exact. They are a cross between a lemon and an orange. The fruit looks very much like a lemon but the flavor is much sweeter and they have a gorgeous fragrance that is hugely appealing.
When I received the first box I was at a momentary loss. What to do with a dozen lemons! I went to Food Network and looked under Meyer lemon. I found a few items and the best of them was this lemony tart. It is very simple; dump all the filling ingredients into a mixing bowl, spin them up good with a hand mixer and pour carefully into a partially cooked and cooled tart crust, bake some more, chill and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Real whipped cream, none of that funky canned stuff!
Sometimes I make it in my long rectangular tart pan. I like to put 3-4 thin slices of Meyer lemon down the tart as decoration. Robert sometimes puts in fresh lemon leaves with his fruits and they are also a nice tart decoration.
This filling is made with buttermilk, which has a bad reputation with some. Don't be put off by that, when you bite into this tangy tart you would never know that it is based in buttermilk. It is well blended and the addition of the lemon zest takes it to a higher level in flavor. You will not be disappointed in this easy to make dessert.
I had no trouble making it gluten free; the tart shell is from my favorite cookbook by Annalise Roberts. I swapped out the all purpose flour in the filling for sweet rice flour. Perfect!
Mix all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth. Pour into crust and bake at 325 for 25-30 min; until set. Cool completely and refrigerate until chilled. Can decorate tart with thin slices of Meyer lemon tart.
Beat cream, add powdered sugar. Serve a dollop with each slice of tart. It is okay without the topping but it really sparkles with lemon when you have the contrast of the whipped cream.
So, if you get your hands upon some Meyer lemons please make this recipe. I promise you will love it for both the delicate flavor and the easy preparation. Anyone who likes lemon will be in love once they bite into this tart!