lemon souffle tart

This tart and soufflé's happened totally by chance. I setup to make a lemon tart actually, but then after I blind baked the tart shell and added the lemon filling I forgot to lower the oven temperature from 400 F to 345 F. By the time I realized, my lemon tart looked more like a soufflé, so ....there it is: lemon soufflé. I love accidents like these since otherwise I would have never come out with this recipe. It is perfectly fluffy and a delight to enjoy.

RECIPE

for the dough:

• 1/2 cup roasted walnuts, unshelled

• 1 cup whole all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• pinch of salt

• the zest of two lemons

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cold and diced

• 1 1/2 tablespoons ice-cold sparkling water

for the filling:

• 9 eggs, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cup Cool Whip Extra Creamy, thawed for 15 minutes

• grated zest and juice of 7 lemons

• 1 cup granulated sugar

to decorate:

• 1/4 confectioner's sugar

• lemon halves or slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, grind the roasted walnuts together with the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. When the mixture resembles flour consistency, place it in a bowl. Add the butter and with your fingers incorporate it into the flour mixture until the dough is very crumbly. Add the ice-cold sparkling water and mix it into the dough until the dough sticks together. Wrap the dough into a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and butter a 9 inch tart pan then set aside.

3. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, about 1/8 th of an inch thick. Flour your surface if the dough is too sticky. With the help of a parchment paper overturn the dough into the previously prepared tart pan. Bake blind for 15 minutes (I used rice on top of parchment paper for the blind bake; alternately baking beans can be used).

4. Remove the rice and parchment paper and bake the tart shell for additional 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile make the filling. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the help of a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Add the cool whip and beat again for one minute. Add the lemon zest, juice and sugar and beat on high speed to 2 minutes.

6. Pour the filling into the tart shell (I had some filling remaining so I made 3 individual soufflé's as well). Return the tart (do the same with the individual soufflé's) back to oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, dust with confectioner's sugar and serve.