Help: Adapt lemon tart from 'Dessert Fourplay'

[jsmeeker]

I was poking around Johnny Iuzzini's website and found a recipe for a Double Meyer Lemon Tart. It looks and sounds really good. I need help adapting it for my use. The main issue with the recipe as printed is that it's too big. It makes 6-8 individual tarts. It doesn't say how large, but just looking at the amounts of tart dough, it certainly seems to be a lot more than I need. Also, I only have two smaller individual tart pans in addition to a larger (I think 9" ) tart pan. Basically, I want to use the ideas here. A lemon tart with two "layers". A lemon flan (an 'app'??), then a lemon curd on top.

The recipe is here.

http://johnnyiuzzini.com/storage/recipe/spring/beg/Meyer%20lemon%20tart.pdf

I have made sweet tart doughs before. So, that's not much of a challenge to overcome. Next up is the meyer lemon flan app.. first, what is an "app"? Never heard of that term. For amounts, could I simply halve everything? I think it may wind up making enough. The baked tart shell gets filled halfway with this, then baked to set the flan. After that, comes a lemon curd. I've made lemon curd before, so that's not a huge deal. I just wonder if the curd in this recipe would setup thicker than what I have made before. I would think that I would want it fairly firm. Note that the recipe doesn't call for the curd to be baked or anything like that after it's made. It just goes into the tart shell after the flan has been set and cooled. The final part is the Italian meringue. I've never made that before, but I have made marshmallows, so I am familiar with hot syrup into beaten egg whites. The problem with this recipe is the sugar amount. The recipe lists 113 g of sugar with 100g of whites. But the method section calls for 223 g of sugar. Also, could the meringue be made advance? Like several hours and held in a container, then piped out and torched just before service? If not, how long can the meringue sit on a finished tart before service?

Any help people can provide would be much appreciated. Has anyone actually made this themselves? I think if I can figure it out, this will be Easter Sunday dessert.

[RWood]

Have no clue what an "app" is. Never heard of that either. Must have something to do with the fact that the whole lemon is used and not just the juice.

For this recipe being listed as a "beginner", it's not very clear or concise at all. I'm assuming the tart shells are individual since that's what the picture shows. I think if you are making one larger 9" tart, 6-8 individual (if they are about 3", but since it's not clear, who knows) is comparable to the amount needed.

The curd sounds like it will be fairly firm with that many eggs and yolks in it.

The Italian meringue can't be made ahead and stored. You should make it and pipe and torch immediately. It will hold for a while refrigerated.

I think it's just another mistake in the recipe with the wrong amount of sugar.

Here's my recipe I've used for years.

350 g sugar

210 g egg whites

50 g sugar

Combine 350 g sugar with a little water. Cook to 248.

When syrup gets close to temp, begin whipping whites. Whip until soft peaks and gradually add 50 g sugar. Gradually add hot syrup and whip to stiff and glossy.

Hope some of that helps. I've never tried anything of his, and some of the other recipes on that site are just as badly explained.

[jsmeeker]

It's certainly making individual tarts in the recipe. I get that. It's a restaurant dish. But I am not going to do that because A) I don't have enough small tart pans and don't want to. B) I will need to transport this dessert a few miles from where I make it (home) to where it will be served (parent's house)

Thanks for the feed back on the curd and the meringue.

[runwestierun]

I make a lemon cake that I frost with Italian Meringue. Once you torch it, it'll hold for the whole day. I pipe it with a large star tip, I like how all those burnt little ridges look.

[Tri2Cook]

A standard curd is plenty thick enough for tarts. The shell keeps it in place and a little drooping once it's cut into isn't a big deal for a family-style meal or individual tarts. If it is a big deal (you're plating it behind the scenes and want to keep clean edges) and since you're doing one large tart, a very small amount of gelatin (around .5% by weight) will firm it up enough to keep it's shape when cut without messing up the texture. Bump that up to around 1% and it will hold it's shape without the tart shell and still not mess with the texture enough to be offensive... but I'd go lower since you're using it in a tart and it won't have to stand on it's own.

You can use any Italian meringue recipe. There's nothing tweaked about his, it's just the standard item but looks like it was posted without proof-reading first.

[RichardJones]

App is almost certainly short for the French appareil which means a (wet) mixture of raw ingredients. We might use the word preparation or mixture but there is no decent equivalent which I guess is why he uses the French.

[jsmeeker]

App is almost certainly short for the French appareil which means a (wet) mixture of raw ingredients. We might use the word preparation or mixture but there is no decent equivalent which I guess is why he uses the French.

interesting.

So, the finished component, when it's baked, is just "flan", or do you still call it an "app"?

[minas6907]

I make a lemon cake that I frost with Italian Meringue. Once you torch it, it'll hold for the whole day. I pipe it with a large star tip, I like how all those burnt little ridges look.

I have a question for anyone that owns a heat gun. I know using a torch is ideal for this, but will a hot heat gun give the same/acceptable result?

[minas6907]

Well I guess I just answered my own question.

http://cupcakeheavenbyterry.blogspot.com/

Search for "craft heat gun" on the page to see a picture.

[RichardJones]

interesting.

So, the finished component, when it's baked, is just "flan", or do you still call it an "app"?

Are we talking in English or French, now?

In French, I've never heard appareil used to refer to something cooked but you can bet someone somewhere says it. You'd probably be more likely to hear it referred to as the crème or crémeux. Or quiche sucrée.

I'm afraid I've never worked in an English kitchen so cannot be sure. Imported words often lose their nuances so you may find people saying app even when the thing is cooked. Has anyone heard it used like this?

Edited April 20, 2011 by RichardJones (log)

[jsmeeker]

interesting.

So, the finished component, when it's baked, is just "flan", or do you still call it an "app"?

Are we talking in English or French, now?

In French, I've never heard appareil used to refer to something cooked but you can bet someone somewhere says it. You'd probably be more likely to hear it referred to as the crème or crémeux. Or quiche sucrée.

I'm afraid I've never worked in an English kitchen so cannot be sure. Imported words often lose their nuances so you may find people saying app even when the thing is cooked. Has anyone heard it used like this?

uhhh... Either? Both?

Johhny I. is American and works in a restaurant in NYC. I guess what I am getting at is how to describe the completed dish to diners. I'm thinking I am just gonna go with "flan". Or probably "lemon flan"

In all honestly, I was just curious about the usage of the word "app" in this context. Maybe someplace in the full book, he has a glossary that describes the terms in the way he uses them.

[natasha1270]

It is a lemon flan (as in open pie/tart) but if you think that is going to through people off why not just call it a lemon tart? Either way it sounds tasty. It seems to be an enriched lemon chess pie (minus cornmeal I guess makes it a lemon custard) topped with lemon curd & meringue.

[RWood]

interesting.

So, the finished component, when it's baked, is just "flan", or do you still call it an "app"?

Are we talking in English or French, now?

In French, I've never heard appareil used to refer to something cooked but you can bet someone somewhere says it. You'd probably be more likely to hear it referred to as the crème or crémeux. Or quiche sucrée.

I'm afraid I've never worked in an English kitchen so cannot be sure. Imported words often lose their nuances so you may find people saying app even when the thing is cooked. Has anyone heard it used like this?

uhhh... Either? Both?

Johhny I. is American and works in a restaurant in NYC. I guess what I am getting at is how to describe the completed dish to diners. I'm thinking I am just gonna go with "flan". Or probably "lemon flan"

In all honestly, I was just curious about the usage of the word "app" in this context. Maybe someplace in the full book, he has a glossary that describes the terms in the way he uses them.

If you look at some of the other recipes on the site, that term is in anything that has a similar custard or wet base. Since he considers these beginner level, I would hope he has a glossary in his book. I've never heard the term used in the 13 years I've done pastry work.

I would just call it a lemon meringue tart and explain the layers.

[jsmeeker]

well, the project is underway.. Last night, I made the tart dough. But I didn't use the recipe in Johnny's version. I used a pâte sucrée recipe from Cook's Illustrated. The empty tart shell is now in the oven baking. I made the lemon flan "app" too. That's just sitting in the fridge waiting for the tart shell to bake. Once that's done, I'll cool it and fill it halfway with the flan mixture and bake that to set it.

[jsmeeker]

Photo time!

Baked tart shell before it gets filled with the flan mixture

Now with the baked and set lemon flan.

Next step is to make the lemon curd. I'll do that tonight, but I'll put it in a container and keep it in the fridge until tomorrow. Then I'll fill it with the lemon curd, whip up the Italian meringue, and pipe that on in some fashion.

[jsmeeker]

OK.. So, it's done. My piping skills are terrible. Also, the only star tip I have is a small one. Really, I needed a bigger tip. But here it is, before it gets sliced and plated.

The lemon curd setup fairly thick, but not thick enough to keep from running over the edge when I slice it. I really should have figured out how much gelatin to put in it. At least the curd tastes good.

[jsmeeker]

And this is how I plated it..

Sreved with vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and orange segments.

[Kerry Beal]

Looks yummy - what did you torch it with?

[Tri2Cook]

Looks tasty to me. Nice job. I've always thought the curd drooping over the sides of the slice barely hanging on looked good. Kinda inviting. Like "I better get to eating it before that escapes". I mentioned the gelatin as an option because it works and some prefer to keep clean edges. I only use gelatin if I need it to be free-standing for what I'm doing. If it's in some sort of container like a crust or something, I don't bother.

[jsmeeker]

I torched it with a small, cheap kitchen torch I received as a gift a few years ago.

It tasted great. This was a huge hit. Though I personally found that there wasn't enough contrast between the two layers. I think if I did this in the future, I would make the flan layer thicker and use less lemon curd. as far as setting up the curd with gelatin. I would consider it, but to be honest, it wasn't as runny as I thought it might be. While a clean edge would be pretty, I think having the lemon curd texture being soft makes for a better contrast to the texture of the firmly set flan.

[Tri2Cook]

I think having the lemon curd texture being soft makes for a better contrast to the texture of the firmly set flan.

I agree. At .5% there is very little difference in the texture, it just tends to stay in place a little better but, like I said, for tarts and things I don't bother.

[Pierogi]

I wouldn't change one iota about that curd. It looks FABULOUS and inviting sort of sliding down over the other layer. Nice job !