Summertime Lemon Custard Tart

Heike Meyer, Bee Sting Bakery

Heike Meyer, whose wood-fired ancient grain sourdough breads are now delivered to City Market from her bakery, Bee Sting Bakery, in Fairfax, teaches City Market classes regularly to share her passion for sourdough and whole grain baking. This recipe for a nut-based tart was taught in a recent class on baking tarts and pastries with whole grain and nut flours. The tart tastes like summer on a fork and is especially good with fresh berries on top!

Summertime Lemon Custard Tart

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Yield

8 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups flour, almond (or ground almonds)
1 cup flour, oat (ground oats)
1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or rice syrup)
5 tablespoons canola oil (or sunflower oil)
2 lemon (pulp of 2, zest of 1)
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 egg (plus 2 egg yolks)
1 cup heavy cream ((a bit less than 1 cup is ideal))

Instructions

To make crust:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix almond flour, oat flour and salt in a medium bowl. Mix syrup and oil in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly using a spatula or your hands.

Check the consistency by squeezing the dough together: it should be sticky enough to hold together but not wet. Press (with your hands) into an 8 or 9-inch pie plate or spring-form pan.

Pre-bake crust for 10-15 minutes in the oven. Note: Don’t over-bake this crust, it could become too crumbly and bitter.

To make the custard:

In a medium-large bowl, mix pulp of lemons with zest; then add sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and heavy cream. Combine well.

When thoroughly blended, strain mixture through a strainer, pressing on solids and then discarding them.

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days until ready to use, or use right away in the pre-baked pie crust.

Fill the pie crust with the lemon custard and bake place in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until the custard is set and slightly golden around the edges.

Serve slightly warm, with fresh berries!