If you listen closely, this special tart almost seems to sing “spring is here!”
It may look super involved, but many of the same ingredients you’ll use in different ways, for various components, so give it a try. I’ll likely use this recipe to develop new combinations, so stay stocked on the agar agar if you want to try those!
Be patient as you prepare this tart—do let it set properly and you’ll wow everyone you end up serving it to. They’ll taste the love and time you put into it (although, bonus, most of the time is passive time). Decorate it with the optional Candied Lemons (recipe below), or keep it simpler without them. Cook’s choice.
Watch the Good Food Cooking Club video here…
And follow the steps below, too.
You can use regular lemons if you can’t get your hands on Meyer lemons, just note that if you want to top with regular candied lemons, be sure to slice them paper thin. I call for Meyers because they are more sweet, a touch floral, and lovely to eat. My Meyers were more on the orange side so they almost look like oranges, but they also can be found more sunny yellow if you prefer those aesthetics.
Tools:
9″ springform pan or tart pan
Blender
Straining cloth or nut/seed milk bag
Ingredients:
Bottom of post
Steps:
The night before you want to make this tart: Place raw almonds in a bowl and cover with water to soak 8–12 hours. In the morning, drain and rinse well and either use right away or store in the fridge in an airtight, glass container until you’re ready.
Ready to make the tart: Now, preheat the oven to 350°F, grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan with coconut oil. You can always make this tart in a regular pie pan, but a springform pan will allow you to easily remove the tart, display it, and slice it while maintaining its good looks.
Make the crust: In a food processor fitted with the S-blade, pulse the Crust ingredients together until uniform and looking “sawdusty.”
Press evenly into the pan so the bottom and sides have equal thickness—a little less than 1/4″. Be sure to push the crust up the sides of the pan around 11/2–2″.
You can leave the top edge of the crust rustic and uneven (what I did), or use your fingers to shape a straight line. Poke the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork and bake for 15–20 minutes, until edges are browned and sides and bottom are dry and gently browned.
Remove from oven and allow it to cool while you make the other ingredients. Transfer to the fridge to chill once cool—this fridge step will expedite the setting process for the custard, but it’s not necessary.
Make the custard: To start, we’ll make a coconut-almond milk.
Place the soaked/drained/rinsed almonds, 5 cups of water, and shredded coconut…
… into the blender and blend until smooth.
Lay a tight-weave muslin or cheesecloth (double or triple it up for extra straining power), nut milk bag, or clean but threadbare t-shirt (basically, any fabric that will strain) over a large pot or bowl.
Pour the blender contents into the cloth, pulling up all sides and squeezing to strain the pulp from the almond-coconut “milk.”
Once strained, discard the pulp (or use to make crackers).
In a small bowl or glass, make a quick slurry by stirring together 1 tablespoon of water and the arrowroot until dissolved.
Then, transfer almond-coconut milk to the pot and add the canned coconut milk, agar agar, and the slurry—heat the pot over medium-high heat, whisking continuously until the contents reaches a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking often—custard will be bubbly and thick.
Then, whisk in the honey, vanilla, and salt for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Pour into the cool tart shell and transfer to the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
Once the custard has set at least 2 hours, make the jelly.
Zest two lemons and place all of the zest into a pot.
Juice the zested and remaining whole lemons…
… and add the juice to the pot with 1 cup of water…
… and agar agar.
Bring the contents to a boil, whisking often, then reduce heat to a simmer, then whisk in honey and remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then pour the jelly over the completely chilled custard.
Return tart to the fridge to chill and set for at least 2 more hours.
TIP: You can use an upside down bowl to create a tart stand for presentation.
Place a small piece of grippy cupboard liner between the bowl and the bottom of the springform pan to reduce slippage.
Voilà!
If you like, make some candied lemon slices to garnish your tart. Slice lemon into 1/8″ thick slices and remove any seeds and discard.
In a pot, whisk together water and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and liquid comes to a boil then reduce heat a bit to hold the boil for 1 minute without browning the sugar. Then, reduce heat to a simmer and add sliced lemons. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring gently (maintain the whole lemon slices) and constantly to keep the sugar from browning. Flip lemons and simmer for another 15 minutes until translucent.
Remove from the pot with a fork so sugar can drip away (gently tap excess back into pot) and cool on a sheet of parchment paper (NOT wax paper)—reshape into rounds with the fork if needed and allow to cool until hardened.
NOTE: These are over-browned, overcooked lemons below—keep an eye on things the entire time!
Candied Lemons may take some practice to get the sugar to the correct temp, but note that chewy lemons are just as tasty, so don’t worry.
Carefully remove the tart from the springform pan by placing a bowl underneath the bottom of the pan. Release the clamp and carefully remove the band.
More voilà!
Use Candied Lemons to garnish the tart once removed from the springform pan.
Slice and enjoy!
| Servings |
people
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- unrefined coconut oil
- fine ground sea salt
- 11/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats gluten-free if you have a sensitivity
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut can sub shredded
- 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons tablespoons raw honey*
- 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1 cup raw almonds soaked overnight 8–12 hours, drained, and rinsed well
- 5 cups water
- 3 cups flaked coconut can sub shredded
- 1 cup coconut milk) full-fat, ideally, Thai style from a can
- 3 tablespoons agar agar flakes If you can’t find flakes, use 1 teaspoons powder for every tablespoon of flakes
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour/starch
- 5 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or use vanilla bean for extra wow factor
- PInch fine ground sea salt
- 5 Meyer lemons
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons agar agar flakes If you can’t find flakes, use 1 teaspoons powder for every tablespoon of flakes.
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- Pinch fine ground sea salt
- 1 cup Meyer lemon
- 1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
- 2 cups water
Ingredients
Crust
Custard Filling
Meyer Lemon Jelly
Candied Lemons (optional garnish)
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- The night before you want to make this tart: Place raw almonds in a bowl and cover with water to soak 8–12 hours. In the morning, drain and rinse well and either use right away or store in the fridge in an airtight, glass container until you’re ready.
- Ready to make the tart: Now, preheat the oven to 350°F, grease the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan with coconut oil. You can always make this tart in a regular pie pan, but a springform pan will allow you to easily remove the tart, display it, and slice it while maintaining its good looks.
- Make the crust: In a food processor fitted with the S-blade, pulse the Crust ingredients together until uniform and looking “sawdusty.” Press evenly into the pan so the bottom and sides have equal thickness—a little less than 1/4". Be sure to push the crust up the sides of the pan around 11/2–2". You can leave the top edge of the crust rustic and uneven (what I did), or use your fingers to shape a straight line. Poke the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork and bake for 15–20 minutes, until edges are browned and sides and bottom are dry and gently browned.
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool while you make the other ingredients. Transfer to the fridge to chill once cool—this fridge step will expedite the setting process for the custard, but it’s not necessary.
- Make the custard: To start, we’ll make a coconut-almond milk. Place the soaked/drained/rinsed almonds, 5 cups of water, and shredded coconut into the blender and blend until smooth.
- Lay a tight-weave muslin or cheesecloth (double or triple it up for extra straining power), nut milk bag, or clean but threadbare t-shirt (basically, any fabric that will strain) over a large pot or bowl.
- Pour the blender contents into the cloth, pulling up all sides and squeezing to strain the pulp from the almond-coconut “milk.” Once strained, discard the pulp (or use to make crackers).
- In a small bowl or glass, make a quick slurry by stirring together 1 tablespoon of water and the arrowroot until dissolved.
- Then, transfer almond-coconut milk to the pot and add the canned coconut milk, agar agar, and the slurry—heat the pot to a boil, whisking continuously until the contents reaches a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking often—custard will be bubbly and thick.
- Then, whisk in the honey, vanilla, and salt for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Pour into the cool tart shell and transfer to the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
- Once the custard has set at least 2 hours, make the jelly. Zest two lemons and place all of the zest into a pot. Juice the zested and remaining whole lemons...... and add the juice to the pot with 1 cup of water...... and agar agar.
- Bring the contents to a boil, whisking often, then reduce heat to a simmer, then whisk in honey and remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then pour the jelly over the completely chilled custard. Return tart to the fridge to chill and set for at least 2 more hours.
- If you like, make some candied lemon slices to garnish your tart. Slice lemon into 1/8" thick slices and remove any seeds and discard.
- In a pot, whisk together water and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and liquid comes to a boil—reduce heat a bit but maintain a gentle boil for one minute, whisking constantly to keep the sugar from browning. This is over-browned, overcooked lemons—keep an eye on things the entire time. Reduce heat to the lowest simmer, and add the lemon slices. Gently simmer for 15 minutes, then flip lemons and simmer for another 15 minutes until translucent.
- Remove from the pot with a fork so sugar can drip away (gently tap excess back into pot) and cool on a sheet of parchment paper (NOT wax paper)—reshape into rounds with the fork if needed and allow to cool until hardened.
- This may take some practice to get the sugar to the correct temp, but note that chewy lemons are just as tasty, so don’t worry.Carefully remove the tart from the springform pan by placing a bowl underneath the bottom of the pan. Release the clamp and carefully remove the band.
- Use Candied Lemons to garnish the tart once removed from the springform pan. Slice and enjoy!
*Try to use a delicately flavored, neutral-sweet honey so it doesn’t overpower the citrus flavor—we want it to compliment and sweeten, not dominate. Unless you want the honey to be the hero, then use what you like!
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