Lemon Chess Tart

This is a delicious way to bring a bit of sunshine into your day. It’s a glorious chess tart, a Southern favorite, that’s buttery with delightful notes of lemon and toasted almond all baked in a delicate pastry crust.

Chess pies have been a Southern staple for generations. Made with five common ingredients – eggs, a bit of flour, butter, sugar, and meal. There are so many variations of a chess pie, from plain to coconut to pineapple. But lemon was one of my Grandmother’s favorites and I have to agree with her taste.

The addition of cornmeal or nut meal, gives a chess tart it’s unique taste and texture.

Nut meal is easy to make, made from nuts ground with a bit of flour and sugar. And almonds are just the right accent for this refreshing citrus filling.

With every good pie or tart, the crust is half the story. This crust is a subtle twist on a basic piecrust. Made with egg yolks and a touch of sugar – it’s tender, crisp, and flaky – making it a delectable vessel for the wonderful lemon goodness.

It’s also a pastry dough that’s very forgiving. So if you have a crack or tear along the way, just patch it and keep moving!

Bake the tarts on a rimmed baking sheet for easier cleanup. There is a “bit of butter” in this tart. And as any good Southern cook would tell you “there’s no such thing as too much butter”! This recipe makes enough for two tarts (I make an 8” and a 10” tart) or a traditional 9” pie or deep 9″ tart. Just add about 10 minutes or so to the final baking time so the filling can set.

Lemon chess tarts are wonderful served warm or at room temperature, plain or with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. My Grandmothers really knew their stuff!

Lemon Chess Tart

For the nut meal:

1 cup toasted slivered almonds

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon flour

Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor with the sugar and flour. Process until the almonds are finely ground, about 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl and reserve for the filling. (No need to wash the bowl of the processor before you make the crust.)

For the crust:

2-½ cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

⅛ kosher salt

1 cup well-chilled butter, cut into small cubes

2 extra-large egg yolks

6 to 8 tablespoons cold water

Place the flour, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to blend.

Scatter the cubes of butter across the flour and pulse about 8 to 10 times or until the butter looks likes coarse meal. It’s fine if there are larger bits of butter still in the flour.

Add the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons of the water. Process for about 20 to 30 seconds or just until the dough starts to hold together. The dough will still be crumbly but should hold when you press it together. If it’s not holding together, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and using the edges of the paper, bring the dough together into a disc. If you’re making two small tarts, you can divide the dough and gently shape each into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate.

Wrap the pastry dough in the parchment paper and refrigerate for at least an hour. When you’re ready to bake the tarts, place the dough on a surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. If you’re baking 2 tarts, divide the dough if didn’t before chilling.

Roll it to fit your tart pans, with about 1” to 2” of overhang. Don’t worry if there are tears or cracks; just gently patch them. Carefully wrap the dough around the rolling pin then gently unroll it into a fluted tart pan that has been lightly sprayed with a cooking spray. (Preferably use a tart pan with a removable bottom.)

Ease the dough into the tart pan and lightly press into the fluted edges, taking care not to stretch the dough. Trim off any excess dough by running your rolling pin across the top.

Chill for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs

1-½ cups sugar

½ cup lemon juice, about 3 to 4 lemons

1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 4 lemons

1-½ cups butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

Combine the eggs and the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until the eggs are very pale in color and the mixture has thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, the lemon zest, and the melted butter. Mix into the eggs and sugar, using medium speed.

Stir in the ground almonds along with the vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts, mixing on medium to blend together.

Pour the filling in the unbaked pastry shell. Place the tarts on rimmed baking sheets. (This makes for easier cleanup and prevents a mess in your oven!)

Bake at 375-degrees for 30 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350-degrees and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. If the top of the tart starts to brown too much, tent it with a sheet of foil over the top.

Cool on wire racks completely before you remove the tarts from the pans. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Makes one 8″ tart and one 11″ tart, or one 9″ pie or 9″ deep tart.