Lemon Pecan Tart

When the in-laws arrived for Thanksgiving, they wagged in five grapefruits and a shopping bag full of Meyer lemons.   Score!

To thank my kind and wonderful MiL and the rest of our guests, I made an un-traditional pecan pie for our Thanksgiving table:  Lemon Pecan Tart.

It was a unanimous vote to add this recipe to our holiday pie tradition.

Lemon Pecan Tart from Eliot's Eats

Lemon Pecan Tart

 

Lemon Pecan Tart
From Oil & Vinegar (Recipes from the Junior League of Tulsa, 2002)

Butter Crust:
1 3/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. superfine sugar
1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 c. flour

To prepare the crust, cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  Add the flour gradually, mixing well after each addition.  (Mixture will have the consistency of shortbread.)  Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.  Pat dough into a  a 10 1/2 to 11″ buttered and floured tart pan, trimming edges.   (This process is much easier than rolling this tender, shortbread-like crust out.  Simply roll small balls into “snakes” and press around the crust edge.   Then, pat a larger disk-shaped piece into the the middle and press together to incorporate.  Or, you can wrestle with the rolling pin if you like.) 

Filling:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t. lemon extract
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 T. butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 to 2 c. chopped pecans

To prepare the filling, combine the eggs, lemon extract and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and beat until light and pale yellow.   Combine the sugar and butter in a medium bowl and mix well.  Add to the lemon mixture and stir until well blended.  Stir in the pecans.  Spoon into the tart shell.  Bake at 300 degrees for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is just set.  Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Pecan Tart from Eliot's Eats

 

 

Lemon Cream Topping:
1 c. sour cream
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 c. lemon juice

To prepare the cream, combine the sour cream, condensed milk, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium bowl and mix well.  Chill until serving time.

To serve, drizzle the lemon cream onto a serving plate and top with a tart slice.   Drizzle the tart slice with additional lemon cream.

 

A couple of notes here:

Unless you have a giant tart pan, you will have a lot of dough left over.  I had enough left to make nine shortbread cookies.

Shortbread Cookies from Eliot's Eats

Bonus: Extra shortbread cookies

 

In fact, this is a great shortbread recipe for cookies.

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The lemon cream is most delicious, but again, you will have a lot leftover.  Use it for a fresh fruit dip.  (Or, dip your extra shortbread cookies in it.)

I obviously used Meyer lemons in this recipe and it worked great.

Lemon Pecan Tart from Eliot's Eats

 

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