Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

I hope another posting of a variation on lemon curd recipe won't bore anyone.  But I can't resist not to whip up extra batch of Meyer lemon curd to make this lovely tart.  It's late spring, almost summer; local strawberries are just coming in, and Oregon-grown strawberries are red all-around, sweet and juicy.  When the tart is cut, the luscious and creamy curd seeps through the buttery and flaky crust; who can resist such temptation?

My parents have a small patch of strawberry plants and they're picking the fruits everyday---it's now or the slugs will get to them.  The fruits don't always look perfect but they're quite sweet.  Elsewhere, u-pick strawberry farms are starting to advertise their picking hours recently and I'm planning to go pick some more strawberries this season, to supplement what I can also get from my parents' patch.  Most of the fruits from last season were almost gone and my homemade strawberries jam is down to one last jar.  I used my vanilla-strawberry jam to glaze this tart and it helps the tart looking more gorgeous.

I didn't use up all the strawberries to cover up the tart--the rest was for snacking--but I think it still looks pretty that way.  The lovely combo of lemon curd and strawberries is a must-try for tart lovers.  I, for one, can't get enough eating the tart shell alone; in my opinion, a good crust equals a giant buttery cookie--simply irresistible!

Strawberry-Meyer Lemon Curd Tart

Serves 10

For Meyer lemon curd:  please see this recipe.  Note:  the curd can be made 2 days ahead.  Keep chilled until used.

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons (or more) chilled heavy whipping cream

1 large egg yolk

For topping:

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, stem ends cut flat

1/2 cup strawberry jam



To make the crust:  Blend flour, sugar and salt in food processor.  Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add 2 tablespoons cream and egg yolk.  Blend until moist clumps form, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.  Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.  Wrap and chill 1 hour.  The dough can also be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled until used.  Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round.  Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.  Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan.  Trim dough overhang to 1/2-inch; fold in and press firmly, forming double-thick sides.  Pierce crust all over with fork; refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake crust until golden, pressing with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes.  Cool crust completely on rack.

Spread curd in crust.  Stand berries in curd, cut side down.  Stir jam in small saucepan over medium heat until melted; strain into small bowl.  Brush jam over berries.  Chill tart until glaze sets, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

Remove pan sides from tart.  Transfer to plate and serve.



Source:  adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts