Lemon Olive Oil Tart
/An easy lemon curd filling and an olive oil tart crust pair in this bright, citrus-filled summer tart. Plus tips on creating desserts with olive oil and how to make homemade lemon curd.
Attention all: Minnesota in the summer is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I’m writing this blog post with the windows wide open. There is a gentle breeze in the air and little birds chirping is my current soundtrack. The weather here has been such a contrast from the Florida humidity and maybe it’s simply the change that I love so much. Tahini is also loving the fact that we go on longer, slightly cooler walks almost everyday without feeling like we’re traipsing through a rainforest. I might feel differently about my change in weather come winter, but I’ll just become a snowbird and escape to a warmer climate if needed.
This lemon olive oil tart pairs perfectly with my perfect summer weather and I’m so excited to share it with you. This is a really simple recipe that feels fancy and upscale with very little effort. I’ve also waxed poetic before about how much I love incorporating olive oil in pastry, but I have no problem talking about it again. Good olive oil is my very favorite ingredient in the kitchen. It’s so versatile and in the dessert realm, it can add a savory component, cutting through and balancing out sweetness in a very mild, approachable way.
ways to incorporate olive oil in dessert
Olive oil is a liquid fat, which means it can be substituted easily in places where vegetable oil or melted butter is used. It really shines in simplicity, like in this Lemon Olive Oil Loaf Cake (also, it pairs so well with citrus).
I also really love incorporating olive oil in custards and ice creams. There’s something about the way the grassy oil gets along with the richness of heavy cream that I just can’t get enough of. It’s great mixed into a custard, like this Basil Olive Oil Gelato, or even just drizzled on top like in this Fancy Strawberry Shortcake.
A great way to start playing around with olive oil desserts is to make your own vanilla olive oil! It’s so easy. Just fill a deli container or glass jar with about a cup of olive oil. Scrape 1-2 vanilla beans into the oil and then add the used pods to the oil. Seal it, give it a little shake, and then keep it in your pantry for drizzling on top of ice cream or fruit or cake all season long.
how to make homemade lemon curd
Making curd is another skill to keep in your baking repertoire. A fruit curd, like this lemon curd, is made from cooking down fruit juice and sugar until creamy and spreadable. They also use egg yolks and often times some sort of starch to help with the thickening process. For this homemade lemon curd, we start by simmering lemon juice and half of the sugar amount until it’s bubbling and all of the sugar has dissolved. While that’s heating, we combine the remaining sugar with cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, eggs, and yolks to form a paste. While whisking continually, we will gradually pour the hot lemon syrup into the paste (this is a process called tempering and it keeps the eggs from scrambling). The entire mixture is returned to the heat and then cooked a bit longer, so that the cornstarch is activated and the mixture is thickened. Strain the curd and then whisk in some olive oil and voila! The curd gets poured into a really lovely olive oil crust and then into the refrigerator to set!
a few tips for making great curd:
Make sure that you have all of your ingredients and tools prepped before you get started because the process moves quickly. I like to have two large bowls (one for the paste and one clean to strain into), a strainer, a whisk, a wooden spoon, and a rubber spatula all close by.
Place a cork hot-pad or even just a kitchen towel underneath the bowl while tempering. This will keep the bowl from sliding around while you use your hands to whisk and pour at the same time.
Whisk your sugar and cornstarch together before adding any wet ingredients in order to break up any clumps in the cornstarch.
Be careful not to combine your eggs and sugar together too early. You don’t want it to set for more than about 5 minutes or the acid from the sugar will start to cook your egg yolks.
Lemon Olive Oil Tart
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp (75 g) all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornmeal
- 1/3 cup +1 tbsp (50 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from one lemon)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp fruity olive oil
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from one lemon)
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp fruity olive oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, cornmeal, powdered sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Pulse for 30 seconds, until combined.
- Add the cubed butter and pulse for about 1 minute, until butter is broken down into pea-sized pieces. Add the egg yolk and olive oil and pulse again, just until mixed and dough begins to come together around the blade.
- Transfer dough to a clean, lightly floured work surface, and pat into a disc, about 1” thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.
- When the dough has sufficiently chilled, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently roll it out to 1/4” thickness, about 10” in diameter.
- Place the dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press it in to the edges. Trim the overhang and dock the surface of the crust with a fork. Place the tart shell in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Place the tart pan in the center of a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling. (If making ahead, you can loosely wrap the tart shell in aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
- Combine lemon juice and half of the sugar (1/2 cup) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until simmering and sugar has dissolved.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, salt, lemon zest and cornstarch to break up any lumps in the cornstarch. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk to form a smooth paste.
- Carefully and while whisking continually, slowly stream the hot lemon juice syrup into the egg mixture. When all of the syrup has been adding, transfer all of the mixture back to the saucepan and return to heat, whisking constantly.
- Stirring continually, bring the mixture to a boil, and then boil for 2 minutes, until thickened. Pour curd through a sieve or fine mesh strainer.
- Immediately whisk butter into the hot curd, followed by the olive oil. Let curd cool slightly, and then pour into your prepared crust. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until set, about 3 hours. Slice and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
Notes:
I created this recipe using Monini Olive Oils and they are favorite in our house. If you don't have access to them, you can substitute another fruity olive oil that you like.
