Daniel Boulud's Creamy Lemon and Raspberry Tart

Daniel Boulud's Creamy Lemon and Raspberry Tart

1 partially baked tart shell in a 9 ½” tart pan

2 medium lemons

2 large egg

2 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 cups raspberries (although I use less, probably closer to a cup)

1. Center a rack and preheat oven to 300°

2. Prepare the lemons: Grate the zest off both lemons and set aside. With a paring knife, cut off the top and bottom of each lemon so the lemon flesh is exposed. Stand the lemon on one of its ends and cut away the pith (the white stuff that’s left after you zest the lemon) so the lemon flesh is exposed. At this point Daniel Boulud says to cut the lemons into crosswise pieces and remove the seeds. I’ve found it easier to cut the lemons lengthwise into quarters, remove the skin which separates each section, and remove any seeds. Put the sections of pulp in the blender.

3. Add the eggs, yolks, and sugar to the pulp in the blender. Puree until smooth. Strain the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the lemon zest and the cream.


4. Give the bowl “a good rap against the counter.” This is to remove any bubbles. “…if there are bubbles in the cream now, there will be bubbles in your tart later. (It’s not tragic, but neither is it attractive.)” I can attest to the importance of this. I skipped this step the first time and the surface of the tart was dotted with tiny little bubbles. Oops.

5. Scatter the berries over the bottom of the tart and pour the filling over them. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is set in the middle. Cool on a rack.

Serves 8

The tart is assertively lemon enough that I think it really benefits by being served with lightly-sweetened whipped cream to offset the tart's tartness.