bergamot lemon + earl grey tart
freshly squeezed bergamot lemon juice turns into the most deliclously sweet and tart curd to fill an earl grey laced shortbread crust. impressive, yet super simple to make. this is all the best of citrus season in one delectable dessert!
Equipment
- 9" removable bottom tart pan
- heat proof bowl
- mesh strainer
- parchment paper
- medium sauce pan
Ingredients
earl grey crust
- 1 ½ c all purpose flour (180g)
- ½ c powdered sugar (40g)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1-2 bags, earl grey tea
- zest from ½ bergamot lemon
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
bergamot lemon curd
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks, room temperature*
- ¾ c caster or superfine sugar (165g)
- ¾ c freshly squeezed bergamot lemon juice sub with any seasonal lemon
- zest from ½ bergamot lemon
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F, line bottom of a tart pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease sides of the tart pan with butter. I use a pastry brush dipped in some of the melted butter. Combine all crust ingredients in a bowl, mixing until the dough comes together. Press into prepared tart, starting with the sides and working across the bottom to the center of the pan. Chill in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Line the crust with a piece of parchment paper, cut the 1" larger than diameter of the tart pan. Line with pie weights, rice or dried beans. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until ready to be filled with the curd. Reduce heat to 325F.
- In a seperate, heat proof bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Once combined, whisk in lemon juice and zest. Take the entire bowl and place on top of a pot filled with 1" of water. Using a bain marie, or double boiler method, heat curd mixture over medium- high heat, stirring frequently to ensure the eggs don't curdle. Continue to stir until the curd forms into a thick, almost pudding like consistency (about 10-20 minutes). The curd should fully coat the back of a spatula or spoon without running off.
- As soon as the mixture thickens, add the cubes of butter. Stir quickly to fully combine/melt the butter into the curd. Press the curd/butter mixture through mesh strainer, into another bowl, container or directly into the prepared crust. Return filled crust to the oven. Bake at 325F for 10-12 minutes, or until the curd sets with a slight giggle. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack to room temperature, about an hour. Chill the tart in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Top with powdered sugar right before serving. Other suggested toppings: candied lemon slices, whipped cream or italian meringue (using the lefover egg whites)
Notes
* save the eggs whites from these eggs. you can make a delicious Italian meringue to top the tart with!
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