Bruleed Lemon Tart

For the crust:
Combine the flour, icing sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the whipping cream and blend until moist clumps form. If the dough is too dry, add more whipping cream one teaspoon at a time. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc, and then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out onto a floured surface. I used a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, but a 9-inch tart pan would work fine too. Roll the dough thin enough to cover the bottom of the pan and create double-thick sides. Press into the tart pan. Poke the bottom of the tart shell all over with a fork. Bake for 18 minutes. Brush the inside of the tart shell with the reserved beaten egg white. Maintain the oven temperature.

For the filling:
Combine the sugar, whipping cream, egg yolks, eggs, and lemon juice and zest in a large bowl and whisk together until combined. Pour the filling into the warm tart shell and return to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is slightly puffed at the edges and set in the center. Cool for about 1 hour.

For the topping:
Sprinkle the sugar over the filling. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar, as if you were making crème brûlée. If you do not have a kitchen torch, you can use your broiler to achieve a similar effect. Be very careful, checking the tart after a minute or two, and turning the pan for even browning. It may also be wise to cover the edges of the crust with tin foil to prevent the crust from getting too brown. Allow the tart to cool for another hour, until the topping is crisp. Slice and serve!

This recipe is from Bon Appetit, April 2004.