Chef Recipes

Lemon Crème Brûlée Tart

By Chef Willis Getchell
Scottsdale Culinary Institute

CRUST
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
6 Tbs [3/4 stick] Butter, chilled cut into ½ cubes
6 tsp Heavy cream, chilled
2 Tbs. Pine Nuts, crushed
1 egg white, beaten to blend

FILLING
¾ cup plus 1Tbs Sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
2 Eggs
½ cup lemon juice
1 Tbs. [packed] finely grated lemon zest

FOR CRUST
1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor; blend 5 seconds to combine. Pulsing, blend in butter until coarse meal forms. Add heavy cream. Pulsing again, blend until moist clumps form, add more cream if dough seems to dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill at least 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rollout dough on a floured surface to a 12 inch round. Transfer to a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Fold overhang in, pressing to form double thick sides. Line pie shell with parchment or foil and fill with dry beans, rice or pie weights. Bake until golden, about 18 minutes. Brush inside of tart crust twice with beaten egg white.

FOR FILLING
1. Whisk ¾ cup sugar , cream, yolks, eggs in bowl, blend well. Mix in lemon juice and zest. Place tart shell on sheet pan and place in oven. Pour filling into tart shell. Bake until filling is slightly puffed at edges and set in center, 30-35 minutes. Cool completely.

Sprinkle tart with 1 Tbs. Sugar. Using kitchen torch about 2-3 inches above surface, caramelize sugar until evenly browned. Cool slightly and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream and seasonal fresh berries.

CHEF Willis Getchell, CEC