By Mother's Day. Every year I write about this and every year I have something new to say about it, which means the day is still doing something in me rather than having settled into a fixed meaning.
This Mother's Day I thought about Gloria and Debbie. I sent both of them flowers, which I have never done for Debbie before, and I wrote a note to each that said something different but meant the same thing: you have fed me and taught me and I am here because you were there. Debbie called when the flowers arrived and said: sweetheart. Just that one word. I said: happy Mother's Day, Debbie. She said: come to Sunday dinner soon. I said: we will be there next week.
I texted Crystal. I have been thinking about whether to for a week and I decided yes. I said: happy Mother's Day. She was quiet for a long time and then she texted back: thank you. That is the most important two words I have ever received. She was my mother, technically, even when she was absent. She is my birth mother. Acknowledging the day was the right thing to do and I am glad I did it.
I made a Mother's Day dinner at Gloria's: shrimp and grits, which is the first of the season every spring, and a lemon tart for dessert. Gloria sat at the kitchen table and directed. I cooked. The food was right and the afternoon was right and I am twenty-five years old on Mother's Day and I have mothers now in multiple forms and that is a remarkable thing to be able to say.
The lemon tart was Gloria’s request — it always is in the spring — and I have made it enough times now that my hands know what to do while the rest of me is present in the room, listening, being there. That is the kind of recipe I want to share here: one that does not demand all of you, so you can give the rest of yourself to the people around the table. This is a straightforward, forgiving tart, the kind that fits inside an afternoon that already holds a lot.
Easy Lemon Tart
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 to 4 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the crust. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the egg yolk and ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together.
- Chill and press. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Once chilled, press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, covering the base and sides. Prick the bottom all over with a fork.
- Blind bake the shell. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the lemon filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
- Fill and bake. Pour the lemon filling into the warm tart shell. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is just set at the edges but still has a slight wobble in the center.
- Cool and chill. Allow the tart to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before slicing.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 110mg