A Lemon Tart Recipe

Everyone feels and reacts differently in these times. For me, being busy is helpful. On weekends, I watch Lost in Space via antennae. True vintage TV!  I laughed when Dr. Smith said to Will, “don’t get too close, it will contaminate you, and you will contaminate me”. Then a few days ago, in a dream, I heard the song The Boxer. And as I struggled to read the music, I woke, so I looked up the lyrics. It mentioned N.Y. and lines for jobs. Suddenly, the tears coursed until my cheeks stung. The days seem to run into days, and morning light wakes earlier and earlier. Today, I busied myself with my niece’s schooling via face time, cooked homemade soup, and baked a lemon tart. A routine helps the day pass.  The tart recipe is wonderful and requires so few ingredients even though I had to make a crust! It’s from the amazing Mimi at Mimithor, and she mentioned it in her stories today, because it’s republished at Sezane’s Blog under home. You can link directly to it in her stories. And interestingly, I since learned that Paul Simon created a new video of his famous song The Boxer, and it’s on YouTube. 

The recipe is in grams so, I converted the ingredient measurements for the lemon filling. I did not have the dough, so 
I made a simple crust by my own methods. 

Simple Pie Crust (only for a bottom)

1 and 1/4 cup of flour 1/3 cup of shortening and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 6 tablespoons of water, worked it with a fork, until I could roll it out on the table smeared with flour. I put it in a pie plate, and then once I made the filling, I poured it in. It's so easy, and it is delicious!

Thank you for all your lovely comments. Always… Tonight, before the sun sleeps below the mountain, perhaps light a candle for the shadows. Su Johnson  

Amazing Mimi Thorissen

The filling is here: Sezane
They highlighted her talent.

I have since realized that the filling was not self-explanatory. I apologize.
Two lemons give you about a half a cup of lemon juice. 1.5 lemons is a little less about 1/8 of a cup less. (so 3/8 of a cup, don't go more than 1/2 cup. You might be able to get away with less, let me know. I tried as low 1/4 now... a little drier. I think the sweet spot is around 3/8 and not more than a half.)
4.5 tablespoons of melted butter
12.5 teaspoons of sugar
1 egg


I like to bring the egg to room temperature by putting it in warm water for a few minutes. Though some say 5 to 10 in warm water or 30 minutes on the counter.
It is warm in my house. 75 degrees.

I whisked the egg for two minutes by hand until fluffy.
Then I put in the melted butter and the sugar and whisked till it was mixed.
Then I add the lemon juice: 1/2 cup and whisked more by hand... Probably 2 minutes more. (It creates not quite a cup of filling, because I poured it into a  liquid measuring cup to measure.)
Next, I poured it into my prepared  9 inch regular size pie plate with my uncooked crust, because that is  the size pan I have. I pinched the crust. 

I cooked it at 420 F for 20 to 25+ minutes in the oven longer than what the Sezane website suggests, but if you use the a converter it is 428 F.  Last night, I tried 425, and this time in my toaster oven it took 30. (My big oven is gas.) Until it was golden, almost brown, tanning . (It always depends on your own oven.) It is still bubbling when I take it out and looks like it is still cooking as it sets. At that high temperature, it cooks quick and the sides shrink down a bit, a little different than pie, and it looks like a tart anyway with a little higher sides.  
It is thin, and tart :), because there is not a lot of sugar.
When it totally cooled I removed mine from the pan quite easily. 
But you can always leave it in the pan and serve it from that. I like it on a plate.

When it is totally cooled, I sprinkle with powder sugar. 

I make pinwheels with the extra dough.  I got about 5 of those. I just sprinkle sugar and cinnamon, but some use butter. 
Pinwheels 375 for 15+ minutes, a little longer in a small electric oven for the golden color.

You can always find me on Instagram.