A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

Lemon Tart with White Chocolate Feathers Recipe

photo: Manny Rodrigeuz

A lemon tart appears on nearly everyone’s list of favorite desserts. Lord knows it does on mine, lurking somewhere between #1 and #2 in a pucker-off with Key Lime Pie and a perfect lemon bar. Espresso creme brulee isn’t far behind.

I know this for sure because of an experiment I conducted as I criss-crossed the country for years teaching at food temples like Sur La Table and the Central Markets in Texas. At some point in most classes I would ask students to vote for their one and only castaway-on-a-desert island dessert. I offered only two options: the best citrus dessert ever or your favorite chocolate dessert.

When I started my quiz I was sure that— unlike me— most people would hoist the chocolate flag. Not so. In Dallas, Cleveland, Long Island and San Francisco it was a 50/50 split.  I was shocked to discover that my citrus craving wasn’t unique or even unusual. So I’ve continued to develop more citrusy desserts than chocolate,  because that’s what I like to eat. And now I know that at least half of you are in it with me!

This recipe combines zinged up lemon flavors with white chocolate drizzles for an elegant presentation.

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy & creative

Makes 10 servings (one 11-inch tart)

CRUST

• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, lightly packed
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs (ground in the food processor)

FILLING

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 3 whole eggs
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 teaspoons Frangelico
• 1 1/2 to 2 ounces good-quality white chocolate like that from Scharffen Berger

GARNISH

• Berries, mint or curls of lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

TO MAKE THE CRUST

1. Spread the coconut onto a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool before using.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and cool until tepid. Finely crush the coconut with your hands, and add it to the butter along with the gingersnap crumbs. Blend with a fork.
3. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of an 11-inch tart pan. If you have a second pan about the same size you can set it on top of the crust and use it to press a perfect shell. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool.

TO MAKE THE FILLING

4. Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice in a large non-reactive bowl or the top half of a double boiler. Whisk in the egg yolks, eggs, lemon zest, and salt.
5. Place the bowl with the egg mixture over a pan of gently boiling water. The bowl should fit snugly into the pan without touching the water. Cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, for 12 to 14 minutes until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Remove from the heat and stir to cool slightly. Add the butter, a piece at a time, stirring until completely incorporated. Add the Frangelico. Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and sprinkle the white chocolate over the surface. Let it sit for a minute to begin to melt.
7. Using a knife, draw feathery patterns of the melting white chocolate through the lemon, leaving some chunks. You will have a lovely marbled yellow and white cloud pattern. Chill until set (at least 3 hours or overnight).
   

   photo: Manny Rodriguez