TART AU CITRON (LEMON MOUSSE TART)

By Kitchenbee

Bon Appetit/February 1983 – A Little Romance article

Ingredients

• Pastry
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup (scant) sugar
• 1 oz shelled hazelnuts
• Grated peel of 1 large lime
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tblsp well chilled butter
• 1 egg
• Lemon Mousse
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tblsp grated lemon peel
• 3/4 cup sugar glaze
• Lemon Glaze
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tblsp sugar
• 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
• Whipped cream, raspberries, mint sprigs (garnish)

Preparation

Step 1

For pastry: Combine 1 cup flour with sugar and hazelnuts in processor and mix to fine powder. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in lime peel and remaining flour. Pound butter with rolling pin to soften slightly. Break butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Blend quickly with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and continue mixing until dough pulls away from side of bowl and holds together; do not overmix or allow butter to melt or pastry will be tough. Divide dough in half. Gather each half into ball, then flatten into disc. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Roll half of dough out on lightly floured surface to 13 inch circle (reserve remaining dough for another use). Lift dough onto rolling pin and transfer to 11 inch tart pan. Carefully press into pan, removing excess dough around edges. Prick bottom randomly with fork. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake pastry shell until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare mousse. Beat eggs with yolks in large bowl to blend. Add lemon juice and peel and whisk vigorously 15 seconds. Gradually add sugar, whisking constantly. Set bowl over saucepan of hot (but not boiling) water and whisk back and forth (rather than in up and down circular motion) until foamy on top and beginning to thicken, 3-5 minutes. Continue whisking in up and down circular motion until mixture is pale yellow and slowly dissolving ribbon forms when whisk is lifted, about 7 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and pour into cooled pastry shell. Smooth top with large spatula, spreading lemon mousse over edge of pastry. Cool tart to room temperature.

Combine water and sugar in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Let boil until syrup registers 220 on candy thermometer. Add lemon juice and boil until syrup registers 240 (soft-ball range). Cool about 5 minutes before using.

Brush entire top of tart surface with glaze. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
To serve, cut into wedges. Garnish.