Friends, it’s my birthday on Sunday. It’s not just any birthday it’s a big one. It’s my thirtieth! So in celebration of my birthday this week’s two recipes will highlight some of my favorite flavors with one sweet and one savory recipe. Today we’re starting with the sweet – a recipe for strawberry lemon tarts.
Lemon tarts are my absolute favorite dessert and I’m still searching for my perfect tart. I love the combination of sweet and tart and I like that it feels light but is still sort of silky and decadent. Although I’m sometimes swayed by intense chocolate concoctions, when I go out I try to order lemon tarts because I find it so satisfying for my sweet tooth. And since I don’t have the perfect recipe for lemon tarts or a go-to bakery where I can buy some, I never get tired of eating them. Constantly seeking the epitome of deliciousness has its benefits.
But lemon tarts alone aren’t enough to be my birthday celebration food – I had to add strawberries. Strawberries are my absolute favorite fruit and I could eat a whole bowl full in one sitting. In fact, I have eaten a whole bowl by myself but often times I feel guilty for not sharing. I love strawberries because they are a symbol of summer and hot sunny weather (and my birthday is the first day of summer so it feels in perfect alignment). Sure, you can get strawberries throughout the year but off-peak strawberries are all looks and no substance. Summer time strawberries on the other hand are sweet, juicy, and bursting with flavor.
So, when you make this recipe make sure you have some extra strawberries for snacking. You know you’re going to want to eat a few.
Adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake
Messy level: I find the preparation for this fairly messy because there’s a lot of cutting, juicing, blending and food processing that you have to do. But, when it comes to assembly it’s straightforward and mess-free.
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 1½ cup strawberries
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C degrees.
- Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil. Grease the foil with butter or cooking spray.
- Start with the crust. In a large bowl using an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture. Mix until it looks like crumbs.
- Press the crumbly mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Now for the filling. Put the strawberries and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth (or as smooth as your blender can get it)
- Either in the blender, or in a bowl with an electric mixer, add the lemon zest, sugar, an eggs to the strawberry puree. Blend until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the strawberry mix. Mix until completely smooth.
- Pour the filling over top of the crust once.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the filling is set with just a bit of a jiggle.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar.
- Cut and serve. Store extra in the refrigerator.
