Lemon Poppy Seed Tarts

Did someone say spring? Then it's time for tangy tarts! I adapted a recipe found here into a mini version and added poppy seeds.

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Tarts

Sweet Tart Dough (Makes enough for 48 mini tart shells)

2 1/2sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Lightly packed 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling: ( make while crusts are baking start at step #7)

1 average-sized lemon (about 4 1/2 ounces; 130 grams), rinsed and dried
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons (12 grams) cornstarch
1 stick (4 ounces; 115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. To make the dough: Place the butter in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and process to blend well. Add the ground almonds, salt, poppy seeds and vanilla and continue to process until smooth, scraping the bowl as necessary. Lightly stir the eggs together with a fork and, with the machine running, add them to the work bowl; process for a few seconds to blend. Finally, add the flour and pulse until the mixture just starts to come together. When the dough forms moist curds and clubs and then starts to form a ball, stop! — you don’t want to overwork it. The dough will be very soft, and that’s just as it should be.

2. Gather the dough into a ball and divide it into 2 pieces. Gently press each piece into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or for up to 2 days, before rolling and baking. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month.)

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray each mini tart tin with baking spray and place them all on a baking sheet.

 

4. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before handling. Flour your work surface and roll dough out into a ¼ inch thick circle. Use a large round cookie cutter to cut out circles of dough. Place each dough circle into the greased tins and lightly push dough against edges of tins to give then shape. Keep gathering dough and rerolling until dough is all used up. (Refrigerate dough for ½ hour if it begins to get too soft.)

5. Bake the crusts for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until very lightly colored. 

6.Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven 325°F .

7. Slice the lemon into thin wedges, remove the seeds, and toss the lemon and sugar into the container of a blender or food processor. Blend or process, scraping down the sides of the container as needed, until the lemon is thoroughly pureed and blended with the sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the mixture into a bowl and, using a whisk, gently stir in the whole egg and the yolk, followed by the cornstarch and melted butter. Pour the filling into the crust.

8. Using a turkey baster suck up lemon filling and squeeze into each prebaked tart crust.  Sprinkle with Poppy Seeds and bake for 15 minutes or until middle is yellow and bubbling.

Transfer the tarts out of their shells immediately by flipping them upside down and then placing them right side up onto a cooling rack. The tarts are ready to be served when it reaches room temperature.

(The tart is best served the day it is made, but, if necessary, it can be kept in the refrigerator overnight; bring to cool room temperature before serving.)