St. Patrick’s Day nears. Let’s celebrate with a scrumptious Irish Lemon Pudding Tart!
Mind you, this is “pudding” in more of a British/Irish sense, meaning a dessert. Don’t expect this to have the texture of American Jell-O pudding.
No, this is delightfully fluffy because egg whites are beaten stiff and folded in right at the end, adding loft light texture.
Make no mistake: this tart takes work. It dirties a lot of bowls.
But wow, does it taste like something special. I certainly can’t find anything like this in stores around the southwest US.
Even better, this tart keeps very well in the fridge for at least a week. Just keep it covered by foil.
This isn’t a super-sweet dessert. The fresh lemon flavor is at the forefront. Really, this is a perfect spring or summer dessert. Or breakfast. Or snack.
Bready or Not: Irish Lemon Pudding Tart
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pudding:
- 2 eggs whites and yolks, divided
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large lemons zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups milk or substitute 1 cup half & half plus 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Cut parchment paper to fit inside springform pan. Apply nonstick spray; place parchment circle inside, then spray again to coat the entire inside of pan.
- Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Pour in the butter. Use hands to knead ingredients together until they can form a ball. Flatten out handfuls and place in prepared pan, forming an even layer across the bottom and up about 2/3 of the height of the pan walls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees.
- Take pan out of fridge. Use a fork to prick bottom and sides of crust all over. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to prepare filling.
Make the pudding:
- Place the egg whites in a bowl that can accommodate a hand mixer. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Add lemon zest, juice, and lemon extract. Beat until smooth; add flour, and mix until just blended. Pour in milk and incorporate. Batter will look thin with bubbles at the edges of the bowl.
- Return to the egg white bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold whites until batter without losing too much volume. It's okay if there are still some lumps. Pour batter into crust.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until middle is set and passes toothpick test. Let cool completely.
- Unlock sides of springform pan. Store on base disc of pan, or move to another dish, if desired. Keep draped by foil in fridge for up to a week. Serve cold or slightly warmed.
