Vegan Browned-butter Lemon Berry Tart!

Rich and flaky browned-butter crust... perfectly tart lemon custard... refreshing fruit... 

Though this recipe may seem a little out of season, the recent resurgence of berries (on sale!) at the grocery store reminded me just how delicious it was and I couldn't resist sharing. (:

Also you guys don't understand this thing was EFFING amazing (this is Alex speaking, I actually spent most of my time during the making of this masterpiece at work but got to enjoy the fruits of the labor!) ~(@o@~)  

This is a berry good tart!

That, and we could all use a little taste of summer around this time of year (not that we've had much of a winter around here!). 

... AND THEN EATING!

So here's a reminder to everyone of something look forward to! Well... now you don't have to look forward to it since there's a recipe for it...SO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!? \(@o@\) GET BAKING!!!


Browned Butter Lemon Fruit Tart
yields one 9" diameter, 100% delicious, tart

Ingredients:
for the crust, adapted from Baking Bites' Browned Butter Tart Dough, here!

6 Tbsp vegan margarine (I used stick Earth Balance)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup + 1 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)

for the lemon filling, adapted from Colleen Goudrault's Lemon Bars in The Joy of Vegan Baking, found here!

1/2 cup firm silken tofu, mashed thoroughly
3/4 cup sugar
zest and juice from two large lemons
2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
2 Tbsp corn starch

strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries (or any fruit you have around!) to decorate

Directions:
for the tart crust
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Add the oil, water, sugar, and salt and mix. Bring to a low simmer and let cook until the margarine starts to brown and develops a nutty scent, stirring occassionally, about 15 - 20 minutes.

BUTTERBUTTERBUTTERBUTTER. (okay, margarine)

2. Once lightly browned, remove from heat and quickly stir in the flour and mix (whisk!!!) until combined. Scrape the dough into a ball.

Just look at it.... okay, taste it. 

3. Line a tart or pie pan (we only had a pie pan) with parchment paper, and flatten the tart dough into the pan. Try to make the crust as even as you can. Careful though, it's probably still pretty hot!

"I'll put that box in another box..."

"Then I'll smash it with a hammer!"

4. Bake crust for 20 minutes.

for the lemon filling
1. In the meantime... Zest and juice two lemons!

AHHHH! NAKED LEMONS!

Squeezed for all they were worth!

2. Blend the tofu, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix well.

Custard ready! (Alex: "Looks like eggs!") 

We didn't have a blender, so I just stirred it really really well... with a whisk! :D
The tofu was still a littttle lumpy, but you couldn't tell at all in the finished product!

Whiiiiiiiiiiiiisk!

3. Pour the lemon filling into the baked tart crust, and pop it back in the oven for another 25 - 30 minutes. It's done when the top doesn't look shiny, and doesn't jiggle much if you nudge it (this is a very scientific process). :)

Shimmering with LEMON!!!!

4. Remove from oven, and quickly decorate with delicious fruit! Snack in the process. Nom nom nom.

The holy grail of lemony raspberry goodness.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. It's actually just a really big smile. :)

Behold! A gloriously beautiful fruit tart!

Now available in patriotic colors!

Once you've shown it off to all your friends, slice away and allow yourself to float away on a lemon fruit buttery cloud of blissful deliciousness. Ahhh.... :)

AHHHH CAN I EAT THIS PICTURE?

(and watch it gradually/rapidly disappear...)

Guard your tart!

Happy OMNOMNOMNOMNOMS!!! :D