This cheats version makes the most of lemon season without asking you to spend all day at the stove. The cheer of bright, punchy curd and candied lemons helps to temporarily transport us away from the last days of winter, and the chewy, no sugar press-in crust - paired with the luxurious yet subtle foil of the fluffy whip - make for an impressive display and a truly blissful treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free oats
- 2 tbsp flax meal
- 3 tbsp La Tourangelle Organic Coconut Oil, plus extra for greasing pan
- 7-9 Medjool dates, pits removed
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 3-5 organic Meyer lemons, thinly sliced and ends discarded, seeds removed
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1-1 1/2 jars good quality lemon curd, such as Thursday Cottage brand
- 1 cup grass-fed heavy cream
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 2 tsp confectioners sugar
Directions
Candied Lemons
- For the candied lemons, combine the sugar and water in a medium shallow pan and stir occasionally to dissolve over medium heat. Arrange the lemons, carefully submerging them below the surface. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until lemons become translucent. Use tongs to remove candied slices and place onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Allow slices to dry for a day to render less tacky to the touch, while retaining their tender chew. This can be done up to 1 week in advance. Candied slices keep well stored in a sealed container at room temperature, up to one month.
Tart Shell
- Meanwhile, assemble the shell. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the consistency of wet sand. When squeezed together the mixture should bind, not crumble.
- Empty mixture into a well-greased fluted tart pan with a removable base. Press with the flat of your fingers from the center-out, compressing the mixture until uniform. Compress at the edge (where base meets side) to evenly spread shell up sides. Use your thumb to press crust down at fluted edge while pressing into fluting with fingers to create an even, flush edge. Chill for at least 2 hours. Can be done up to 1 week ahead, kept in the refrigerator.
- Gently invert the tart pan onto a work surface. Using a butter knife, slide blade between the disk base and fluted component to begin to free the shell. Hold pan on opposite sides and gently press disk further to free shell. When the sides begin to release, carefully place upright again and press disk from underneath to free shell fully. Set shell on a work surface. Glide butter knife around circumference to free shell from disk. Gently slide shell off of disk, onto a serving platter and replace in the refrigerator until ready to top and serve.
Topping
- Make the whipped topping when you are ready to serve the tart. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse at long intervals to whip the cream, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. When soft peaks form, add confectioners sugar and pulse again. Add sour cream and pulse until stiff peaks form.
Assemble
- Bring the shell on its platter from the refrigerator and spoon curd onto tart. Spread curd in sweeping movements flush to edge. It will be a somewhat thin layer, which is fine. If you like a sweeter tart, add the additional 1/2 jar, and repeat spreading to coat, saving the remainder for another use.
- Dollop whipped cream mixture onto the tart. Arrange candied lemon wheels to top and serve at once. Any leftovers should be kept refrigerated, up to 2 days.