Cook this: Lemon tart from The Two Spoons Cookbook

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Our cookbook of the week is The Two Spoons Cookbook by Hannah Sunderani. Tomorrow, we’ll feature an interview with the author.

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To try another recipe from the book, check out: Mushroom and spinach quiche; and chickpea salad niçoise.

This sunny lemon tart holds a special place in Hannah Sunderani’s repertoire. Not only is tarte au citron a French classic, but she and her husband, Mitch, served it at their wedding in Dordogne, southwest France.

Recently engaged, they had moved from Toronto to the northern city of Lille in early 2016 for Mitch’s job. The relocation changed their wedding plans, but also presented the opportunity to get married in France.

“I feel like it was kind of perfect timing,” says Sunderani, laughing. She and Mitch married that summer at a Dordogne château surrounded by their closest friends and families. “It was just a small wedding, and the food was amazing. But my mum always talks about the lemon tart. She absolutely loved the lemon tart that we served for dessert. And so, I really wanted to recreate it in the book.”

Article content

Now back living in Toronto, Sunderani makes this version for her mother: a nutty oat-flour crust filled with a creamy vegan lemon curd.

Before pouring in the cashew-coconut milk filling, she blind-bakes the crust until golden. “So, when you’re eating the crust, it’s really nice and crisp,” says Sunderani. “It’s got that beautiful, crisp, nutty texture and taste. And it’s just beautiful.”

LEMON TART

Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free | Refined Sugar-free
Requires: soak time + cool time + chill time

1 cup raw cashews

Crust:
1 cup (133 g) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (60 g) raw walnuts
1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
1/4 cup (50 g) coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

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Lemon Filling:
1 can (14 oz/400 mL) full-fat coconut milk
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, for colouring
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 tsp agar agar (see Tip)

Garnishes (optional):
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

Step 1

Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 1 hour, then drain. (Alternatively, soak the cashews in room-temperature water to cover for at least 6 hours or overnight, then drain.)

Step 2

Make the Pastry Crust: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

Step 3

In a food processor, pulse the oats until they reach a flour-like consistency. Transfer the oat flour to a small bowl.

Step 4

Add the walnuts to the food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Add the oat flour, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and salt. Pulse until well combined, 15 to 30 seconds.

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Step 5

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Using a fork, poke 10 to 12 holes in the base of the dough. (This will stop the base from lifting as it cooks. There’s no need to use pie weights with this crust.) Place on a baking sheet and blind-bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.

Step 6

Meanwhile, Make the Lemon Filling: In a high-speed blender, combine the drained cashews, coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, 1/8 teaspoon of the turmeric and salt. Blend on medium- high speed until smooth and combined. Add up to 1/8 teaspoon more turmeric for colouring, if desired. (Note that the colour will deepen when the filling is heated.) Add the agar agar and blend on low speed until combined, 15 to 20 seconds.

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Step 7

Pour the filling into a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, stir often with a spatula until the mixture has thickened to a pourable custard consistency (just before it reaches boiling) and there is a bit of resistance, 7 to 10 minutes. Working quickly, pour the filling into the blind-baked tart shell. It will begin to thicken immediately. If the filling is uneven, gently jostle the tart back and fork on the counter to smooth the top. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick.

Step 8

Let the tart cool completely in the pan on a wire rack at room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap (it’s okay if it touches the filling) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. To serve, gently remove the sides of the pan. If desired, garnish the tart with thinly sliced lemon rounds, fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of coconut flakes.

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Serves: 12

STORAGE

Store the tart in the pan with the top covered with plastic wrap, or in a round airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

TIPS

I find that for covering the tart, plastic wrap works better than reusable wrap. Plastic wrap is easier to peel away from the filling without sticking.

If your filling cracks when it sets, it could be that you transferred the tart to the refrigerator before the filling had completely cooled to room temperature. Alternatively, it’s possible that the filling was overheated and got a bit too thick. The ideal consistency is a pourable custard. However, cracks are totally okay. It tastes just the same with or without cracks!

Agar agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute made from red algae. Find it at specialty stores and online. (Sunderani uses Everland.)

DO AHEAD

The crust can be assembled 1 day in advance. Press the dough into the tart pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed.

Recipe and image excerpted from The Two Spoons Cookbook by Hannah Sunderani ©2022 Hannah Sunderani. Photography by Hannah Sunderani. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Article content

Our cookbook of the week is The Two Spoons Cookbook by Hannah Sunderani. Tomorrow, we’ll feature an interview with the author.

Article content

To try another recipe from the book, check out: Mushroom and spinach quiche; and chickpea salad niçoise.

This sunny lemon tart holds a special place in Hannah Sunderani’s repertoire. Not only is tarte au citron a French classic, but she and her husband, Mitch, served it at their wedding in Dordogne, southwest France.

Recently engaged, they had moved from Toronto to the northern city of Lille in early 2016 for Mitch’s job. The relocation changed their wedding plans, but also presented the opportunity to get married in France.

“I feel like it was kind of perfect timing,” says Sunderani, laughing. She and Mitch married that summer at a Dordogne château surrounded by their closest friends and families. “It was just a small wedding, and the food was amazing. But my mum always talks about the lemon tart. She absolutely loved the lemon tart that we served for dessert. And so, I really wanted to recreate it in the book.”

Article content

Now back living in Toronto, Sunderani makes this version for her mother: a nutty oat-flour crust filled with a creamy vegan lemon curd.

Before pouring in the cashew-coconut milk filling, she blind-bakes the crust until golden. “So, when you’re eating the crust, it’s really nice and crisp,” says Sunderani. “It’s got that beautiful, crisp, nutty texture and taste. And it’s just beautiful.”

LEMON TART

Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free | Refined Sugar-free
Requires: soak time + cool time + chill time

1 cup raw cashews

Crust:
1 cup (133 g) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (60 g) raw walnuts
1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour
1/4 cup (50 g) coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Article content

Lemon Filling:
1 can (14 oz/400 mL) full-fat coconut milk
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, for colouring
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 tsp agar agar (see Tip)

Garnishes (optional):
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes

Step 1

Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 1 hour, then drain. (Alternatively, soak the cashews in room-temperature water to cover for at least 6 hours or overnight, then drain.)

Step 2

Make the Pastry Crust: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

Step 3

In a food processor, pulse the oats until they reach a flour-like consistency. Transfer the oat flour to a small bowl.

Step 4

Add the walnuts to the food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Add the oat flour, almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and salt. Pulse until well combined, 15 to 30 seconds.

Article content

Step 5

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom and press it evenly into the bottom and up the sides. Using a fork, poke 10 to 12 holes in the base of the dough. (This will stop the base from lifting as it cooks. There’s no need to use pie weights with this crust.) Place on a baking sheet and blind-bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.

Step 6

Meanwhile, Make the Lemon Filling: In a high-speed blender, combine the drained cashews, coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, 1/8 teaspoon of the turmeric and salt. Blend on medium- high speed until smooth and combined. Add up to 1/8 teaspoon more turmeric for colouring, if desired. (Note that the colour will deepen when the filling is heated.) Add the agar agar and blend on low speed until combined, 15 to 20 seconds.

Article content

Step 7

Pour the filling into a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, stir often with a spatula until the mixture has thickened to a pourable custard consistency (just before it reaches boiling) and there is a bit of resistance, 7 to 10 minutes. Working quickly, pour the filling into the blind-baked tart shell. It will begin to thicken immediately. If the filling is uneven, gently jostle the tart back and fork on the counter to smooth the top. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick.

Step 8

Let the tart cool completely in the pan on a wire rack at room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap (it’s okay if it touches the filling) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. To serve, gently remove the sides of the pan. If desired, garnish the tart with thinly sliced lemon rounds, fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of coconut flakes.

Article content

Serves: 12

STORAGE

Store the tart in the pan with the top covered with plastic wrap, or in a round airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

TIPS

I find that for covering the tart, plastic wrap works better than reusable wrap. Plastic wrap is easier to peel away from the filling without sticking.

If your filling cracks when it sets, it could be that you transferred the tart to the refrigerator before the filling had completely cooled to room temperature. Alternatively, it’s possible that the filling was overheated and got a bit too thick. The ideal consistency is a pourable custard. However, cracks are totally okay. It tastes just the same with or without cracks!

Agar agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute made from red algae. Find it at specialty stores and online. (Sunderani uses Everland.)

DO AHEAD

The crust can be assembled 1 day in advance. Press the dough into the tart pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature and bake as directed.

Recipe and image excerpted from The Two Spoons Cookbook by Hannah Sunderani ©2022 Hannah Sunderani. Photography by Hannah Sunderani. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.