International Cooking School Vacations: Torta di Limone

Torta di Limone

June 2007

Torta di Limone (Lemon Tart Gratin)
An Italian version of this summer dessert, but with the touch of our very own Roberto dal Seno.
If you like his recipe, then you may want to check our new 4-night cooking vacation with Roberto,
Taste of the Italian Riviera and Cinque Terre,
in Liguria.

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces all purpose flour
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • 3 ounces sugar
  • 2 egg yolk
  • 1 package vanilla sugar
  • 4 ounces butter, chilled

Directions

Pate Sucree

1. Sift flour onto a flat surface and make a large well in the center.
Place salt, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in the well and mix these center ingredients
with your fingertips until sugar dissolves.

2. Pound butter with your fist or a rolling pin to soften. Add butter to well and quickly work with your fingertips
until partly mixed.

3. Gradually work in flour to make coarse crumbs, scraping work surface with a spatula.
When dough comes together in a ball, lightly flour work surface and blend dough by pushing
it away with the heel of your hand and gathering it up
with either a scraper or spatula.

4. Dough should be smooth and pliable and should peel easily from work surface.

5. Press into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Lemon Tart Gratin

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 9 ounces sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 ounces sliced almonds
  • 2 lemons, juice and zest
  • Pate sucree (recipe above)

Preparation: Lemon Tart Gratin

1. In mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar.

2. Add eggs, two at a time, do not overwork.

3. Add juice and zest.

4. Pour into tart pan lined with pate sucree and almonds.

5. Bake 40 minutes at 320° F.