Happy Foodie Friday! This recipe review and taste test come courtesy of Penny and Eleazar Martinez.
Each of our Taste Test Reviews comes with the original recipe and the tester's notes/changes listed with the ingredient list in blue. We hope you enjoy!
There's nothing I love more than a tangy, sweet treat at the end of a fantastic meal. I am very rarely someone to skip dessert after dinner. As my husband and his family always say, "There's always room in the hotel for dessert!" I truly do not remember the last time I baked before trying out this recipe. My sister turned out to be the baker of the family, so when I'm with her, I never have to worry about one of the rooms in my hotel being vacant. After baking the Lemon and Basil Creme Brulee Tart, I have realized she might have some competition! This recipe was a breeze to make using two ingredients I have never tried together before: lemon and basil. They compliment each other beautifully to create a fluffy, tangy, creamy treat. In the beginning I found myself a bit intimidated since I have mostly only baked brownies out of a box, but then I realized how simple it really was. If you are an inexperienced baker like I am, I would recommend going over the recipe a few times to understand the steps so you can execute it without a hitch.
Makes 8 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake/Cool Time: 35 minutes
Cost: About $15.00
Ingredients:
*Pre-baked graham cracker pie crust/shell
*1 1/2 cups heavy cream
*1 bunch of basil, chopped
*4 egg yolks, plus one whole egg
*Zest of two lemons
*Pinch of salt
*3 lemons, juiced
*1/2 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons sugar
Preparation:
*Heat the cream with the basil over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
*Let the basil steep in the cream for 20 minutes, then discard basil and set aside to cool.
*Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, whole egg, 1/2 cup of sugar, then lemon zest and salt in a quart measuring cup.
*Whisk the mixture from the quart measuring cup into the basil cream until smooth.
*Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
*Place tart shell in a 4 sided sheet pan. Then pour custard into shell. Now add water to the sheet pan (1 inch high).
*Bake until just set but still slightly wobbly in center, 30 to 35 minutes. (I baked it at 350F for 35 minutes)
*Remove tart from sheet pan and set aside to cool.
*Prior to serving, sprinkle 3 remaining tablespoons sugar evenly over top of tart.
*With a culinary torch, evenly distribute heat until sugar is caramelized. (If you do not have a torch, you can broil in oven or just skip this step).
Recipe and Taste Tester - Cecelia Zook