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.
Equipment
- Food processor
- Electric mixer
- 11" tart plus 8" tart, or 9" pie pan or 9" deep tart pan
Ingredients
- For the nut meal:
- 1 cup toasted slivered almonds*
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- For the pastry crust:
- 2-½ cups flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup well-chilled butter, cut into small cubes
- 2 extra-large egg yolks
- 6 to 8 tablespoons cold water
- For the filling:
- 6 extra-large eggs
- 1-½ cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, about 4 lemons
- ½ cup lemon juice, about 3 to 4 lemons
- 1-½ cups butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- Powdered sugar for garnish, optional
Instructions
- For the nut meal:
- 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 food processor before making the crust.)
- For the pastry crust:
- Place the flour, sugar, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to blend together.
- 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 doesn't hold together, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of water and pulse about 6 to 8 times, or until the dough starts to come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper and using the edges of the parchment paper, bring the dough together. Wrap it in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least an hour. If you’re making two small tarts, you can divide the dough in half and gently shape each into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate.
- When you’re ready to bake the tarts, place the dough on a surface that has been lightly dusted with flour. Roll it out to about ⅛” in thickness and large enough to fit your tart pan, 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 the rolling pin across the top.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.
- For the filling:
- Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until the eggs are very pale in color and thick, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, the lemon zest, and the melted butter, mixing into the eggs and sugar on medium speed.
- Stir in the ground almonds along with the vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts, using medium speed to blend together.
- Pour the filling in the unbaked pastry shells and 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 cooking 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. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
*To toast almonds, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and pop in a 350-degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly golden.