I absolutely adore the sweet-tart flavor combination of fresh raspberries and lemon – they seem to be a match made in heaven.
Yet, the beauty of this decadent lemon tart is that it pairs well with virtually any berry in season. So if fresh ripe raspberries don’t tickle your fancy, or they’re not in season, simply use whatever fresh berries are available, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
This recipe was inspired by my Luscious Lemon Bars recipe. This version has all of the tangy flavor of my lemon bars, but with the added sweet-tart twist of fresh raspberries! Yum!
Step 1: Prepare the Crust
Since I don’t have a tart pan – can you believe it? – I simply use a 9″ pie dish to make this delightful dessert. To make it a bit fancier, I like to use a fork to make a decorative pattern along the edges.
Step 2: Prepare the Lemon Curd Filling
If you don’t have a double boiler, just be sure to use a heat-safe glass bowl. It’s also important to make sure the water under the bowl is at a very gently simmer, not a rolling boil.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup butter, cold, cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp pure honey
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks, room temperature (pastured eggs are best)
- 1/2 cup pure honey (I prefer sage honey due to its mild flavor)
- 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 2 Meyer lemons)
- 2 tbsp filtered water
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter, cold, cut into pieces
- 3 cups of your favorite fresh organic berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place the almond flour, butter pieces, arrowroot powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse 6-8 times. Then add the honey and vanilla and pulse until it starts to form a dough ball.
- Use a rubber spatula to remove the dough and place in a 9" tart pan or pie plate.
- Press dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan or pie plate. (If using a pie plate, use a fork to make a decorative pattern along the edges.)
- Bake crust for 8-10 minutes, until puffy, but not browned. Allow to cool before filling.
- In a double boiler, or in a heat-safe glass bowl resting above a pot of gently simmering (not boiling) water, whisk together the egg yolks, honey, lemon juice, water, lemon zest and vanilla until well blended.
- Slowly add the butter, 2-3 pieces at a time, while constantly whisking. Add more pieces as the previous ones melt.
- After all the butter pieces are melted and incorporated, cook for an additional 15-18 minutes, stirring just occasionally, until it thickens like a thin pudding. Then, place the lemon curd in the refrigerator to cool.
- Once cool to touch (not cold), add the lemon curd to the cooled crust, using a spreader to smooth it out evenly.
- Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, until filling sets and slightly puffs up.
- Once baking is completed, remove tart from oven. Allow it to cool completely, then gently arrange fresh berries in a pleasing pattern across the top.
- Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight before serving. Serve with a heaping dollop of homemade whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Time-Saving Tip: Whenever a recipe calls for lemon juice, I always zest the lemon first and place the lemon zest in a freezer-safe container to freeze for future recipes – then I proceed with juicing the lemons. This works vice-versa too ... If a recipe calls for lemon zest, after zesting the lemon, I squeeze the lemon to extract the juice and place the lemon juice in a freezer-safe container for future recipes. Taking a quick minute to do this not only helps to eliminate waste, but also helps to reduce the prep time for future recipes.
I have had the same berry/lemon combo stuck in my head all summer! I’ve wanted to try some sort of dairy & egg-free lemon custard for bars and/or pie, but haven’t come up with the right ingredients yet. I have some ideas though (Thank you!) and hope to start experimenting soon.
Thanks for the lovely treat!
Michelle
Let me know when you perfect it, and I’ll share the link for those who are DF and egg free. Looking forward to talking to you soon! Enjoy your vacation! 🙂
Your recipes seem nice, but what is the sugar, fat, content. That is very important when posting a healthy recipe
Hi, Myrna! Thanks for stopping by. I don’t use refined sugar in any of my baked goods, but instead use all natural, unprocessed sweeteners, such as honey (used in this recipe). I agree that even when it comes to natural sweeteners these need to be enjoyed in moderation. So I’m not advocating eating a lemon tart on a regular basis, even if it is made with whole food ingredients. And of course, if you have health issues that are exacerbated by “sugar” in any form, then obviously even natural sweeteners would be wise to avoid. For details, see this post:
http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/room-for-dessert-the-joys-of-baking-with-natural-sweeteners/
As far as fat, after much research and my own personal health experience, I no longer subscribe to the low-fat diet viewpoint. Although I am not advocating eat all the fat you want, I do believe that healthy fats not only include monounsaturated sources such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, but should also include animal fats such as pure cultured butter.
My healthy food philosophy is based on eating a real food diet that consists of pure, unrefined whole foods with the bulk of nutrition coming from fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds, properly prepared (soaked/sprouted) whole grains (if you’re not Grain-Free due to health issues), grassfed(pastured) meats/poultry, wild caught eco-friendly seafood, healthy fats, cultured organic dairy and raw dairy products and LOTS of probiotics with particular emphasis on cultured foods. I explain my position on real food in this post: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/what-is-real-food-3/
If you’re interested in learning more, I highly recommend checking out the Weston A Price Foundation’s website, as well as this wonderful book called Real Food: What to Eat and Why.
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-What-Eat-Why/dp/1596911441
and of course the real food classic “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats”
http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735
I know not everyone believes the same things about what constitutes “healthy,” particularly since research studies are constantly contradicting themselves. And I definitely believe each person is a unique individual and has to determine the right diet that works for them based on their unique health concerns. I hope this helps to clarify a bit as to my personal position on healthy eating. And of course, of greater importance, I want to acknowledge my utter dependence upon God who is the provider of all good things! And my pursuit of gaining better health is based on my desire to more fully serve Him.
Lots of blessings to you, Kelly
Lovely!! I love strawberries, so would love go with that anytime. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for leaving a note, Minnie! Yes! Strawberries are wonderful with lemon curd! Enjoy! 🙂
i cannot seem to find a good pie crust, have you used this crust recipe for, lets say, an apple pie?
Hi, Lizz! Thanks for your question! This crust is great if the baking time is kept short. The reason is because nut flours burn easily if the temp is too high or if the baking time is too long. I haven’t used this tart crust for an apple pie, but I imagine that if you cook the apples first to soften them and then add them to the crust and kept the bake time relatively short, no more than 20-25 minutes, I assume this would be fine. One other issue that can be a problem with nut flours though is they can get soggy easily, so if the apple filling has a high moisture content, it would be best to eat it right after baking, as having it sit overnight may make for a soggy bottom. I’ll have to give this a try and see how it goes. I love apple pie and it’s definitely been on my mind to create a GF version. So if you try this before I have the chance to, please let me know how it turns out? Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂