What to do with a handful of lemons that are starting to peak and move past their prime? Why, make lemon tarts!
Start with a custard that’s bright and silky smooth with that lively tang of lemon. Take a spoonful of this gorgeous lemon and cream cheese filling, tuck it inside golden, crisp puff pastry shells and get ready to spread a little sunshine.
From time to time we can all use a shortcut. This turns a great “store bought staple” into a beautiful dessert. I keep a variety of puff pastry, puff pastry shells and phyllo dough in my freezer. All are handy for savory or sweet dishes and they’re ridiculously easy to use. For this recipe I pulled Pepperidge Farm puff pastry shells from my freezer. Then I grabbed that handful of “starting to look tired” lemons from my fridge along with cream cheese and some eggs. And from the pantry I loaded my arms with sugar plus vanilla and lemon extracts.
The lemon and cream cheese filling takes about 30 minutes to pull together. It’s similar to a traditional custard but with a block of cream cheese stirred into the mix. You can make it ahead of time and chill it before serving.
Layers of lemon flavor come from fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and a touch of lemon extract. Nielsen-Massey makes a number of wonderful extracts and many food markets also carry them. Of course, you can also find them online.
Puff pastry shells bake up light and crispy, going straight from the freezer to the table in about 20 minutes. If you can’t find them in the freezer section of your market you can also used small pastry tart shells. This recipe will fill about six 4-inch shells.
So if life hands you lemons, grab those lemons and make yourself something deliciously sweet!
Lemon Cream Cheese Tarts
4 extra-large eggs, divided
1 tablespoon half and half
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
½ cup lemon juice, about 4 to 5 lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 2 to 3 lemons
1 package cream cheese, 8-ounces at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 package frozen puff pastry shells*, 6 shells
To make the lemon filling:
Place the 3 of the eggs in the top of a double boiler and beat them on medium speed until light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a heatproof bowl that will rest over a saucepan. Gradually beat 1 cup of the sugar into the eggs along with the lemon juice and the lemon zest.
Place the egg mixture on a pan of simmering water over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let the filling cool for about 5 minutes then add the cream cheese, about ¼ at a time, stirring until very smooth.
Add the vanilla and the lemon extracts, mixing into the filling.
Serve warm or chill until ready to serve.
To make the puff pastry shells:
Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. Place the frozen pastry shells on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together 1 egg with the half and half and lightly brush over the tops of the shells.
Take care not to let the egg wash run down the sides of the shells. Sprinkle the tops with 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the baked shells to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
Using a sharp knife cut the center of the shells out , lift them out gently and place them back on the baking sheet.
Pop the centers back into the oven, turn off the heat. Leave the door ajar and leave them in the oven to let the bottoms dry out slightly. When you’re ready to serve, spoon the filling into the baked pastry shells with a pastry center on top or to the side.
Makes 6 tarts.
*Note: I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells.
Lemon Cream Cheese Tarts
Equipment
- Double boiler or heatproof bowl and small saucepan
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4 extra-large eggs, divided
- 1 tablespoon half and half
- 1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
- ½ cup lemon juice, about 4 to 5 lemons
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 2 to 3 lemons
- 1 package cream cheese, 8-ounces at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 package frozen puff pastry shells*, 6 shells
Instructions
- To make the lemon filling:
- Place the 3 of the eggs in the top of a double boiler and beat them on medium speed until light in color, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a heatproof bowl that will rest over a saucepan.
- Gradually beat 1 cup of the sugar into the eggs along with the lemon juice and the lemon zest.
- Place the egg mixture on a pan of simmering water over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let the filling cool for about 5 minutes then add the cream cheese, about ¼ at a time, stirring until very smooth. Add the vanilla and the lemon extracts, mixing into the filling.
- Serve warm or chill until ready to serve.
- To make the puff pastry shells:
- Preheat the oven to 425-degrees.
- Place the frozen pastry shells on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Whisk together 1 egg with the half and half and lightly brush over the tops of the shells. Take care not to let the egg wash run down the sides of the shells.
- Sprinkle the tops with 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Transfer the baked shells to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife cut the center of the shells out, lift them out gently and place them back on the baking sheet. Pop the centers back into the oven, turn off the heat. Leave the door ajar and leave them in the oven to let the bottoms dry out slightly.
- When you’re ready to serve, spoon the filling into the baked pastry shells with a pastry center on top or to the side.
