Lemon Tart in Twisted Graham Cracker Crust
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of late, what with a trip to LA for Bake Me Up LA (a complete success!), a short stay in the LA area at Afsoon’s, and the beginning of several other projects, including a trip (from July 11th through 19th) to San Francisco and Portland with Joni for various meet-ups and taping of a couple of recipes for Everyday Dish TV. Whew!
All that to say I’m a bit overdue with a lot of recipes and a couple of product reviews, but I’m positive it’ll all get caught up eventually, as cod is my witness.
But for now: Lemon Tart.
How about eliminating one step in the making of your pie’s Graham Cracker crust? The brown rice flour gives it the typical crumbly feel of the traditional crust, without having to bother either purchasing Graham crackers at the store, or making them yourself.
Simply prepare the crust, and press it down into the pie plate. Could it be any simpler?
Well, yes: having your significant other do it for you would be all the more interesting. Hear that, Chaz? Yeah…
I know I mentioned in the past that when I think dessert, fruity things aren’t the first to pop into mind, but I must say that once again, while testing this recipe to get it the way I wanted it to be, I found myself feeling a bit sad when the last piece was gone, and getting the urge to make some more to be sure it was tasty. Because, you know, you can never be too safe.
Lemon Tart in Twisted Graham Cracker Crust For the filling:
2 cups (470 ml) plain or vanilla soymilk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 3 small lemons)
1/2 cup (96 g) raw sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose or light spelt flour
Pinch fine sea saltFor the crust:
1/2 cup (112 g) nondairy butter
1/4 cup (48 g) Sucanat
1 cup (140 g) whole spelt flour
1/4 cup (40 g) brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Non-stick cooking sprayTo make the filling: Using an immersion blender, combine milk, zest, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a microwave-safe container.
Heat for 2 minutes, blend again.
Heat 1 last minute, leave it be.To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round baking pan with spray.
With an electric mixer, cream together butter and Sucanat.
Add flours, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
Crumble dough into prepared pan, press down with the palm of your hand or a rubber spatula, until the sides and bottom are covered with the crust. Lightly prick with a fork to avoid air bubbles.
Pre-bake for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through and keeping an eye on it to be sure it doesn’t burn.
Remove from oven, place on a wire rack for 10 minutes.Pour filling into crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before placing into the fridge, and let set overnight.
Enjoy chilled, and within a day or two of preparation.
Yield: 6 slices
Marion - Yum said,
July 2, 2009 at 3:50 am
J’adore les tartes au citron, cette recette change un peu de celles que je connais, à essayer car ça m’a l’air tout simplement délicieux!
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Jes said,
July 2, 2009 at 3:58 am
I love the cheater crust!
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Rosa said,
July 2, 2009 at 4:21 am
That tart looks so delicious! I really like that flavorful crust!
Cheers,
Rosa
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Ricki said,
July 2, 2009 at 4:27 am
This looks like the perfect lemon tart. And spelt/brown rice flour is hte perfect mix, graham crackers or not!
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VeggieGirl said,
July 2, 2009 at 5:22 am
RRRRRREEEEEEfreshing!
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Celine Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:08 am
I have that cool and the gang (or is it, kool?) song in mind now.
“she’s fresh, FRESH!, exciting…”
quick, somebody, anybody, put another song in my mind!
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Sal said,
July 2, 2009 at 5:44 am
that sounds awesome and it just so happens i have everything in my pantry!! guess i’m making lemon tart tomorrow!! :)
thanks for the recipe.
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Shelby said,
July 2, 2009 at 5:50 am
Sounds delicious! I love the “twisted” graham cracker crust, what a great idea!
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Shellyfish said,
July 2, 2009 at 6:01 am
ouh, les tartes au citron…juste le fait de taper le nom me mets l’eau à la bouche…je dois faire attention, la ligne et tout ça, donc je la ferai quand il y aura du monde chez moi – comme ça je ne la mangerai pas toute seule!
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Celine Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:07 am
t’as bien raison! en plus, il est mieux quand il est consomme pas trop de jours apres avoir ete prepare, alors c’est double-win ce que tu as l’intention de faire.
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Kat said,
July 2, 2009 at 6:23 am
What about us, those unfortunate people without a microwave? I’m sure I’ll figure something out, as I NEED THAT TART. Over and out.
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Kelly said,
July 2, 2009 at 6:26 am
That looks beautiful and you did a great job naming it. I’d love to come by for a slice.
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Afsoon said,
July 2, 2009 at 6:42 am
A VERY short stay at Afsoon’s indeed. Well, I’ll be doing my short drive through today :)
Lemon tart, you say? Oh deary me! I’ve been searching for a recipe that would make me spark a “I have to try this lemon dessert!” and you, my friend, just did that. Wooo! So simple. And not too sweet. Yes. Adding it to my long list of Must Bake After Chocolate Research Is Done.
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Bianca- Vegan Crunk said,
July 2, 2009 at 6:54 am
I love lemon anything, and this sounds especially delicious. Yum!!! Also, the PB&J pie from last post…OMG!
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Gina said,
July 2, 2009 at 7:09 am
I looove lemon desserts!! This sounds awesome!
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veggie wedgie said,
July 2, 2009 at 9:26 am
MMM this sounds delicious!!
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Angela said,
July 2, 2009 at 10:02 am
I’m so excited about the graham-less graham crust! I’ve been wondering how I can use something other than graham/cookie crumbs when making crusts and the like, and next time I’m totally going with your mixture!
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veggievixen said,
July 2, 2009 at 10:54 am
mmm lemony things make me think of summer. i think lemon is my favorite dessert flavor. okay, maybe it’s a tie with chocolate. i was actually just dreaming about some sort of gingersnap-crusted mini lemon tart topped with blueberries and peaches thingy. thanks for this recipe!
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kitchenspoon said,
July 2, 2009 at 10:59 am
Oh my goodie-ness!!
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Jackie @ PhamFatale.com said,
July 2, 2009 at 2:04 pm
J’adore. I love the fact that no egg is needed in the recipe. Perfect for my sister-in-law who’s deathly allergic to eggs. Quick question: I’ve never heard of spelt flour before. where can I find spelt flour? I have an electric mill, is it possible to grind spelt and use the spelt mill as the flour for the crust?
Encore merci pour toutes ces petites infos
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Celine Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I get my light spelt flour from amazon, the Bob’s Red Mill brand, and the whole spelt flour I use is the Arrowhead Mills brand.
I wouldn’t recommend using home-ground spelt for the filling, because it might make the texture a bit too heavy.
on the other hand, if you were thinking of using home-ground spelt for the crust, I believe it might work. at worst, it could make it slightly crumblier, but that shouldn’t be a big issue considering “real” graham cracker crusts are crumbly too anyway.
et je t’en prie! bises.
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Courtney said,
July 2, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Yummmmmmmmmmmmm…do you think that almond milk would work in the filling?! I want to try this ASAP!
Courtney
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Celine Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
all attempts at using almond milk in “yogurts” haven’t been too successful thus far, but the fact there is flour in this might help. I haven’t tried it personally, so I cannot recommend it 100% without knowing for sure.
do let me know if you give it a go.
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Courtney Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Hmmm…well, I have 2 lemons now, and I am headed to the farmers market tomorrow where I will pick up another one, so I should get around to trying it sometime this weekend. I will let you know how/if it works!
Thanks so much!
Courtney
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Celine Reply:
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
you are welcome, I’m crossing my fingers for it to work for you.
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Veronica said,
July 2, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Yessss. Graham cracker-less graham cracker crust! I also find homemade graham cracker crumbs the most tedious possible thing on the (pie) planet.
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Y said,
July 2, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Uh YUM. Amazing that the lemon filling has no eggs in it.
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Miakoda said,
July 2, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I love this tart- I make my own version often and gobble it up way to soon! Looks yum!
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Marta said,
July 2, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Oh wow! What a gorgeous tart! That bit of cinnamon in the crust must really sing!
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Mihl said,
July 3, 2009 at 2:26 am
I really love lemony desserts and definitely don’t make them often enough! Your tart looks so simple and beautiful with that lemon slice on top. I’ll tell my significant other that he needs to practice how to make a crust :)
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Sarena said,
July 3, 2009 at 8:15 am
Ah…being busy. Better than being bored! Sounds like you have fun stuff ahead, though! Good luck with all of it! Your lemon treat looks delicious!
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Josiane said,
July 3, 2009 at 9:40 am
I *love* lemon tart! Yours sounds yummy, and I have a feeling that I’ll soon, very soon, be able to say it tastes yummy too… Just as soon as I get my ass to the food co-op to get what’s needed and not already in my pantry.
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Lucy T. said,
July 3, 2009 at 11:17 am
Holy crrrrrrap! That’s such a good ide for the crust. Is the filling really tart? I like my lemon things really, really tart. Should I reduce the sugar a bit, or is it tarty enough for me?
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Celine Reply:
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:57 am
I don’t like things that are too sweet, but I also wouldn’t say the tart is super tart. ha. you could absolutely up the zest a bit for a tartastic tarter tart.
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Lucy T. said,
July 3, 2009 at 11:17 am
Oops, I meant “idea”. You know.
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Melisser said,
July 3, 2009 at 11:31 am
AHEM, I had better see you in San Francisco! Also, I love the idea of a Graham Cracker Crust without making the GC’s 1st!
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Celine Reply:
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 am
dude, you won’t even know how to get rid of me.
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Culinary Cory said,
July 3, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Oh how I love lemon tart. Like the idea of skipping a step and using the graham cracker crust.
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Amy said,
July 3, 2009 at 9:41 pm
That lemony loveliness would surely cool me off right about now!
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gine said,
July 3, 2009 at 11:57 pm
… I love lemontart ^^!!! …. have a great weekend :-) … XOXO
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liz said,
July 7, 2009 at 9:31 am
1. love how thin it is!
2. LOVE anything lemony desserty
3. love the name, too, “twisted” makes me want to make and eat this soon! I actually might, too… been a while since I did a tart. :p
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Lucy said,
July 8, 2009 at 10:41 am
Oooh mama I’m desperate for a slice of this tart right now! I cant resist anything lemony, and I love the idea of this ingenious crust. What a winner :D
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kitchenspoon said,
July 9, 2009 at 7:16 am
Shhhh, did I just hear the angels sing?? Why, yes. I. did! I wish this tart wasn’t all gone and that I was enjoying a little sliver right now. The twisted graham cracker base is crunchy, buttery and holds up perfectly to the lemony custard cream. I don’t have a microwave, so I prepared the lemon cream on the stove, med-heat, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes until visibly thickened & coating the back of a spoon. This custard is manna. Lemony goodness to the nth degree. The tart took me about 10 hours start to finish (1.5hrs tart /8 hrs chilling); it can easily be made in the morning, chill all day, then enjoyed by dinnertime. Sweet dreams, indeed!!
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Celine Reply:
July 9th, 2009 at 11:15 am
so happy you liked it, J!
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Crystal said,
July 12, 2009 at 11:46 am
Looks great!
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Becka said,
July 14, 2009 at 11:57 pm
How did I miss this recipe?! Oh goodness it looks and sounds amazing! I think I might need to bring this one out this week.
Also, there is a little award waiting for you over at my blog!
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