Summer Raspberry and Saffron Lemon Curd Tartlets
“I was inspired to make these tartlets because I love having a dessert hors d’oeuvre at a gathering, similar to a French petit fours. Lemon curd is so simple and delicious, I feel it is a “pudding” that truly showcases the egg for its richness and ability to meld flavours and create a divine mouthfeel. Raspberries from our summer fields is just the perfect accompaniment here.” - Chef Craig Flinn
- Serves:
- 20
- Prep Time:
- 2 hours
- Cook Time:
- 60 min
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry
- 3 cups ( 750 mL ) Unbleached flour
- ½ tsp ( 2.5 mL ) Salt
- ½ cup ( 125 mL ) White sugar
- 1 cup ( 250 mL ) Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp ( 5 mL ) Vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs, just beaten
Lemon Curd
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Egg yolks
- ½ cup ( 125 mL ) Sugar
- 2 Lemons, zested
- Pinch saffron threads
- Pinch salt
- ½ cup ( 125 mL ) Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 tbsp ( 90 mL ) Unsalted butter cut in cubes
To assemble the tart
- 1 quart Fresh raspberries
- Mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
Sweet Pastry
-
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.
-
In a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and creamy in appearance, then add the vanilla extract and slowly add the beaten eggs until just smooth.
-
Add the flour and fold together just until dough forms; do not overwork the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 or 20 minutes before rolling.
-
Roll the pastry to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 3 inch rounds using a cookie cutter. Press the rounds into a greased, non-stick mini muffin pan or into 2-inch fluted tartlet moulds (there should be enough dough and curd for about 18 tartlets. Freeze any leftover pastry).
-
Bake the shells in a pre-heated 350˚F oven for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Allow to cool, then remove them from the pan before filling with curd.
Lemon Curd
-
Beat the eggs and egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, and saffron in a mixing bowl until it becomes smooth and pale yellow in colour. Add the salt and lemon juice and mix well.
-
Bring a large pot with about a litre of water in the bottom to a simmer. The mixing bowl should be able to sit in the top of the pot without touching the simmering water. Using a rubber spatula, cook the curd for about 20 minutes until it begins to thicken and coat the back of a spoon. When it does, remove it from the heat and begin to stir in the butter one piece at a time until each one is incorporated. Place the finished curd in a bowl and lay a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd; this will prevent a skin from forming as it refrigerates.
-
Note: Lemon curd is commonly passed through a fine meshed sieve to remove any coagulated egg and to ensure it is smooth. You can certainly do this here, but I like to leave the threads of saffron in the curd if I can for visual appeal.
Assembly
-
Fill a piping bag fitted with a ¼ inch round tip with the lemon curd. Fill the shells just to the top edge of the crust with the filling.
-
Place 3 raspberries on top of each one (you may be able to get 4 or 5 on each one if your berries are very small). Garnish with a mint leaf if desired before serving.