Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Lemon Curd Tart With Raw Coconut Crust



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Citrus season is at its peak, and I've been taking full advantage.   Blood oranges, cara caras, grapefruits, lemons...I can't get enough.  Especially lemon, though.  Between juicing, lemon water, and dressing salads, we go through a ton of lemons every week.  Desserts are pretty sparse around here, but a couple of weeks ago, I decided to surprise Toby and make a lemon curd tart.  He isn't usually that into dessert, but (like me) he loves anything lemon.  For the curd, I used honey and coconut oil in place of the sugar and butter.  I was a bit skeptical of how well the honey would work (and how it would stand up to traditional curd), but it ended up the perfect consistency. The first time I made the tart, I used coconut flour for the crust, but I wasn't all that pleased with it.  So, the second time around, I made a raw coconut and date crust, which we both loved.  The tart lemon pairs so well with the nutty crust.  And the best part is how quickly it comes together, since there isn't any baking involved.

If you don't care for coconut, an almond flour crust would work just as well.  I have a recipe here (just spread the dough into a large tart pan, instead of the tartlets).  If you want to make it completely raw/vegan, I've seen some great recipes without egg yolks.  Just substitute the honey for agave. 

for the curd:

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
a little less than 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
zest of 1 lemon

for the crust:
About 5 oz. coconut flakes (not shredded)
4-5 pitted dates
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw honey
pinch of cinnamon
tiny pinch of sea salt

To make the crust, place the coconut flakes, dates, oil, honey, cinnamon, and salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until it starts to stick together, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.  Remove from bowl, and press into the bottom and sides of a round tart pan.  Refrigerate while you make the curd.

For the curd, place the egg yolks, lemon juice, zest, and honey into a small saucepan.  Whisk to combine (make sure everything is well incorporated).  Whisking constantly, over medium heat, cook until it starts to bubble.  Still whisking, add the coconut oil in small chunks.  Let the mixture bubble for about a minute, before turning off the heat.  Pour through a fine sieve.  Remove crust from fridge and pour in filling.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes, up to overnight.  Serve chilled.

serves 8.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looks so fresh and lovely. Great recipe!

Megan Joy said...

warmvanillasugar - Thank you!

Kathleen said...

I am making this for my sister's engagement party this weekend :) i'll let you know how it goes! Do you prefer certain types of dates?

Megan Joy said...

Kathleen - I prefer medjool dates (the fresh ones), but if you can't find them, the deglet noor are fine! I hope you love it :)

Unknown said...

Yum! Can't wait to try this especially as this week at Ballymaloe we've been learning lemon curd tarts!
Why honey and not agave though?
http://woodandchocolate.blogspot.com

Megan Joy said...

Jette - Agave should work fine, I've just been using local honey more, lately :)

Amanda | heartbeetkitchen.com said...

I'm planning on making this tomorrow, it looks so good and fresh for the dreary winter days. One question - when you measured the coconut oil for the crust and the filling is it in liquid form or solid? Thank you!

Megan Joy said...

AmandaPaa - I measure it in solid form. I hope it turns out wonderful!

Amanda | heartbeetkitchen.com said...

Thank you Megan! I made it and it turned out great. Only thing I would say is maybe mention in the recipe what size of tart pan you used. I used a 9 inch round and I wish I would have used a smaller one so that the lemon curd layer was thinker. Great recipe though!