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Everyone seems to be going simple this year for Thanksgiving, myself included. I’m trying hard not to overdo it even though I’m hosting for 12 people!
This lemon tart from Claudia Fleming’s beautiful new book, Delectable, is perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert spread. This tart is emblematic of Claudia’s signature style of understated elegance and fabulous flavor and texture. It has a crisp crust of sweet tart dough and a fluffy filling that uses a genius technique that is pure Claudia. When I made her tart earlier this week, I used another recipe from the book, Sugared Pistachios, to finish it and can confirm that they are a delicious pair.
Lemon desserts might not be in the traditional Thanksgiving lineup, but I think they’re a perfect fit! First of all, lemons are in season in the cooler months, so it’s a seasonal dish. Most of all, though, I love finishing a meal with that refreshing citric tang. The filling has a richness that comes from extra-virgin olive oil being drizzled into the warm lemon curd base right in the blender, which forms a light-as-air emulsion. The oil gives the curd a subtle and sophisticated flavor.
If you want to make this for Thanksgiving, it can easily be done ahead of time. Make the tart shell completely, wrap it tightly, and store it at room temp. Make the filling and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 days. Make the sugared pistachios and store them in an airtight container (if you can keep yourself from snacking on them). Once the fridge has emptied out as you prepare your feast on the day of, spread the filling in the shell and refrigerate for at least an hour. Just before serving, decorate the edge of the tart with the pistachios (this combo isn’t in the book, but it was a Claudia-approved innovation).
I’m so thrilled to be able to share these recipes from my good friend. Claudia and I have been pals for 30 years, and used to share a summer house back when she was the pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern and I was the food editor at Martha Stewart Living. How did we kick back on the weekends? We cooked some more! You might be familiar with Claudia’s first book, The Last Course, which came out in 2001. It was a reflection of her dessert menu at Gramercy Tavern, which has been hugely influential to pastry chefs over the years. It went out of print and became a collector’s item, then was re-issued with a new cover in 2019. Her latest book, Delectable, is more geared toward home bakers like you! To read more about the book and Claudia’s journey, read this excellent profile by G. Daniela Galarza that appeared last week in the Washington Post (paywall possible!).
Let us know if you incorporate Claudia’s delicious tart into your holiday spread!
Giveaway! Enter to win a copy of Delectable
To celebrate Claudia’s new book, I am going to be giving one lucky winner a free copy! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post about why you’d like the book. I’ll use a random generator to choose the winner at 10 a.m. EST Monday, November 21 (so leave your comment below anytime between now and then). I will reply to the winner’s comment alerting them that they have won. See the bottom of this post for the giveaway fine print1 and click here to leave your comment. Good luck!
Turkey hotline!
And don’t forget! Paid subscribers, I’ll be sending you a thread (like this one) at 9 a.m. Wednesday, 11/23, in which you can ask me any of your holiday cooking questions. As you start to prepare your feast this weekend and early next week, jot down any queries you may have and send them my way then — I’ll be online and ready to answer.
Lemon Tart
By Claudia Fleming
Makes one 9-inch tart
This tart, filled with a vibrant olive oil-enriched lemon cream, is a perfect expression of my point of view these days. It reflects my inherited Italian sensibility and my French training, as well as my American inclination to merge the two.
XVOO Lemon Cream Filling:
200g sugar (7 oz. / about 1 cup)
Zest of 4 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1.5g Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1/2 tsp)
142g unsalted butter (5 oz.), diced, room temperature
170g extra-virgin olive oil
Sweet Tart Dough Crust:
150g all-purpose flour (5.3 oz. / about 1 cup)
50g sugar (1.8 oz. / about 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
0.7g Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1/4 tsp)
100g unsalted butter (3.5 oz.), diced and chilled
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
To make the filling: In a nonreactive (stainless steel) saucepan, whisk the sugar with the lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the lemon juice and salt. Cook the custard mixture, whisking constantly, over medium heat until it thickens (the custard will be 180°F at this point). Immediately strain the lemon cream through a fine sieve into a blender. Allow the lemon cream to sit for 10 minutes, stirring it occasionally so it cools evenly. Turn the blender on high and incorporate the butter, adding it a piece at a time. When the butter is fully incorporated, begin slowly streaming in the olive oil with the blender still on high. Transfer the lemon cream to a container, cover it directly with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming), and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
To make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, zest, and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and process until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Mix the egg and vanilla together in a mixing cup or bowl. Add the egg mixture to the machine and process until the liquid is incorporated (add some ice water, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, as necessary). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gather it into a ball, wrap it in plastic, then flatten it into a disk. Chill the dough until it is firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days in the refrigerator (or freeze it for up to a month).
On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll the dough out into a round about 12 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (The easiest approach: Slide the bottom of the pan under the rolled-out dough, fold it loosely over the edges, drop the bottom to the pan, then unfold the dough and fit it to the pan.) Chill the dough for 15 minutes in the freezer or at least 30 in the refrigerator.
To blind-bake the crust, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the tart shell with tinfoil and fill it with pie weights (beans or rice work). Bake until the dough is set, about 15 minutes, remove the foil and weights, and continue baking until the crust is fully cooked and golden, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Allow the tart shell to cool completely on a wire rack.
To finish the tart, whisk the lemon cream to loosen it, pour it evenly into the tart shell, and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Refrigerate the tart until the filling is set, at least 1 hour. Slice and serve.
Sugared Pistachios
By Claudia Fleming
Makes about 3/4 cup
100g pistachios (7 oz. / about 3/4 cup), roughly chopped
2 tsp. light corn syrup
1.5g Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1/2 tsp.)
30g crystallized sugar, such as turbinado, Demerara, or Sugar In The Raw (1 oz. / about 2 Tbsp.)
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the nuts in a bowl. Add the corn syrup and mix well (I use my hands). Add the salt and crystallized sugar and toss to coat. Arrange the pistachios in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until they are golden and smell toasty, about 15 minutes. Cool them and then store them in an airtight container. They will keep for at least 2 weeks.
Susan’s tips for baking this tart like a pro:
Keep some dry beans on hand for blind-baking. I store mine in a jar and use them over and over again. Just make sure they’re completely cool before closing the lid.
The nuts took a bit less time in my oven (12 to 15 minutes). Keep a close eye on them so they don’t get too brown.
When blind-baking a shell, I let it get completely hard in the freezer before lining it with foil and then filling with beans. This way, you can’t mess up the shell during this process.
If the shell starts to bubble up (and I mean big bubbles) while it’s baking, simply poke the bubble with a wooden skewer or the tip of a paring knife, and it will settle back down.
The filled tart can be chilled for as little as one hour, but it will slice more cleanly after a few hours.
This giveaway is open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years old or older. No purchase necessary. All federal, state, and local regulations apply. Limit one entry per person. Void where prohibited or restricted.
Claudia Fleming’s Lemon Tart