Rustic Meyer Lemon Tart

I have finally bought some Meyer Lemons.  I've only just discovered them several years back when I started blogging. Never heard of them before. I found a whole bag of them for $1.98 at Walmart which I could NOT pass up.  Do I love them? Yes!  Will I make more recipes using them?  Double YES!!!  They are delicious and so juicy!  How in the world I could never have heard of them all these years is beyond me.  I love a good lemon tart and this one is sooo good!  This is a Martha Stewart recipe that I found online.  My only complaint is that it didn't make as much as I wished it had. My tart looks a bit flat and not as high as I would like it to be but the flavor is wonderful.  What I like just as much is the crust.  There is sugar and vanilla in it so it tastes like a cookie.  I'm not kidding when I say that I would enjoy just eating the crust.  To me it is very addicting.  I will definitely use this crust again and again. You can use this crust with any tart you might enjoy.

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp finely grated Meyer lemon zest
1 stick cold butter, cup into small pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest in large bowl. (I used a food processor - much easier). Cut in butter with pastry cutter until dough begins to hold together.
Stir together 1 Tbsp water and 1/2 tsp vanilla then mix into dough.
Shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Using your fingers, press dough into bottom and up sides of 9" fluted tart pan with removable bottom. 
Freeze for 30 minutes and bake shell until golden; approximately 25 minutes.  Let cool completely before filling.

Lemon Curd

2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar

1/4 tsp cornstarch

3 Tbs finely grated Meyer lemon zest

1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)

6 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan.

Whisk in lemon juice and zest.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon,  about 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in butter, one piece at a time.

Pour filling into cooled tart shell. 

Bake until filling is browned and slightly puffed and set, about 30 minutes. 

Cool completely before serving..  This keeps for about 3 days in the refrigerator (it won't last that long though!).