Meyer Lemon Tartlets

These Meyer Lemon Tartlets are one of Butchie's favorite recipes. Adapted from Baking Bites, these tartlets are irresistibly luscious.

I have succeeded in luring Butchie back again. Secret weapon? Lemons. Butchie has a few key favorites that will keep her loyal to spending time with me: cherries (last week's cherry "ripe-off" bars), lemon or lime, and bacon. I've been deploying these skillfully, but for next week's big holiday, I think it's a losing battle. Even bacon cannot trump Valentine's Day with her man. [Sorry, dear. --B.] Do you think if I create a recipe for cherry-bacon pie with lemon meringue topping she will spend the evening with me? [No. Also, that sounds gross. --B.]

I've been trying to come up with my equivalent favorites, the three things I cannot say no to. I. Have. No. Clue. I go through phases where I love combinations, but three flavors alone? Hmmm. I think I have commitment issues. I can tell you what I DISLIKE: capers, rhubarb, and usually, lemon.

But Butchie campaigned for these tartlets. She brought me a pre-made tiny tartlet for me try and see if I liked it. Amazingly, I do. [The thing with meyer lemons is that they're much less bitter than regular lemons. They're cross-bred with mandarin oranges, so you get all the citrus in a much milder form. Since it's the bitterness that has turned J. off lemon & lime, I had my fingers crossed for this one. Success! --B.]

Plus, curd is so easy to make that you could vary this tart's color and flavor by subbing in blood orange juice, pomegranate, maybe even dark elderflower! I definitely need to try that last one...

Point is, Butchie loves these little tartlets, and now I will admit that I do too. We hope you love them just as much!

Sugar Cookie Tartlet Crust

Adapted from Baking Bites

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, kosher salt, cream and vanilla, until mixture is moist and crumbly.

Press dough into four 4-inch tart pans (or one 9 or 10 inch tart pan) and press it up the sides, making sure the layer on the bottom is even.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is set and firm at the edges. Cool, then fill with desired filling and bake as that recipe directs.

Meyer Lemon Curd Tart Filling

Adapted from Baking Bites

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into half inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally.

In a large bowl, whisk together zest, eggs and egg yolks. When sugar mixture comes to a boil, pour very small amounts down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the mixture. Continue to add only a few tablespoons at a time until all has been incorporated.

Transfer egg mixture back to sauce pan and return to stove. Cook on medium heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking frequently.

Remove custard from stove and whisk in butter, adding in one piece at a time.

When all butter has been added, cool curd for 15 minutes before pouring into prepared tart crusts.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving.

For powdered sugar stripes:

Immediately before serving cut strips of paper out, and gently lay over top of tart, touching curd as minimally as possible. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Carefully remove strips of paper, tilting so that excess sugar slides onto the sugar stripes, keeping clean lines. If curd sticks to paper forming small peeks, wet the tips of your finger and gently press back down.