Best Lemon Brûlée Tarts Recipes

LEMON MASCARPONE BRûLéE TARTS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Make shells:
• Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a food processor combine flour, pecans, sugar, and salt and pulse until finely ground. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until a dough just forms. Form dough into a flattened disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Press dough (about 1/3 cup for each shell) onto bottoms and up sides of eight 4 1/2-inch fluted tart pans with removable rims. Prick bottoms of shells all over with a fork. Freeze shells 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange shells in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven 18 minutes, or until golden. Cool shells in pans on a rack. Shells may be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.
• Make filling:
• In a heavy saucepan combine butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, and remove pan from heat. In a bowl whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until thick and pale. Add hot butter mixture in a stream, whisking constantly, and transfer to pan. Cook mixture over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thick and just beginning to boil. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl and stir in zest. Cool lemon mixture completely, its surface covered with buttered wax paper, and chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together mascarpone and cream until thick and smooth. Fold in 1 1/2 cups lemon mixture, reserving remainder for another use, until combined well.
• Divide filling among shells, smoothing tops. Chill tarts, loosely covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Make sauce:
• In a blender puree sauce ingredients and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids.
• Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon superfine sugar evenly over each tart and caramelize with a blowtorch, moving flame evenly back and forth over sugar (not crust) until melted and caramelized, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, caramelize sugar under a preheated broiler. If using broiler, cover crusts with pieces of foil to prevent burning.)
• Serve tarts with raspberry sauce.

LEMON BRûLéE TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8 (4-oz) individual baking dishes (ramekins) with cooking spray; place on 15x10x1-inch pan or on cookie sheet with sides. In medium bowl, beat all crust ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press 1 tablespoon mixture in bottom and 1/2-inch up sides of each ramekin. Bake 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Over each warm crust, gently spread 1/4 cup filling to edges. Bake 20 minutes or just until filling is set. Remove ramekins to cooling rack; cool 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make candied lemon slices. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 inches water to boiling; place lemon slices in water. Boil 1 minute; immediately remove lemon slices and place in bowl filled with ice water. Let stand 1 minute; drain.
• In 8-inch skillet, heat 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water to simmering over medium heat; place lemon slices in single layer on syrup mixture. Simmer (do not boil) about 45 minutes or until white part of peel is translucent. On cookie sheet lined with cooking parchment paper, place lemon slices; let stand 20 minutes or until cool. Cut lemon slices in half.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon demerara sugar over tops of each tart. Holding kitchen torch 3 to 4 inches from tart, caramelize sugar on each tart by heating with torch about 2 minutes, moving flame continuously over sugar in circular motion, until sugar is melted and light golden brown. Immediately top each tart with two candied lemon slice halves.