Lemon Curd Tart for One

This little treat will bring out the two-year old in you. It’s ooey, gooey, messy, and sweet, and you won’t be able to stop eating it. Thank heavens there are two of them!

For the Crust:

1/3 cup raw almonds

½ cup pitted dates

Pinch of salt

For the Lemon Curd:

1 TBLSP cornstarch

1 TBLSP cold water

6 ½ TBLSP fresh lemon juice

6 ½ TBLSP granulated sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 teaspoons vegan butter

Line a single-serving-sized casserole or two ramekins with parchment paper. This may be a nice art project for you, as parchment paper doesn’t come in little ramekin shapes. You might try only lining the bottom and thoroughly spraying the sides with cooking spray. It won’t come unstuck quite as well, but you can pry it off the sides with a slender knife. It’s sticky more than anything.

To Make the Crust:

1. Place almonds, dates, and salt in a blender or food processor and pulse until it’s a sticky mass.
2. Press the dough into the ramekin bottom and up the sides. The sides don’t need to be completely covered, but make sure that the bottom is. If you like, you might use a little knife to make sure that the soft crust isn’t pressing up against the walls of the ramekin, which will make it easier to remove later.

To Make the Lemon Curd:

1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, stirring until all the lumps are gone. You might need a whisk.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the lemon juice, sugar, zest, and salt.
3. Once the sugar is dissolved, add in the cornstarch slurry and the milk, stirring well to combine.
4. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and the first few bubbles appear on the surface, about 6 ½ minutes. Don’t walk away from this, or the bottom will burn.
5. Add the butter and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 more minutes, until it thickens to the point of a thick pudding.

Assemble the Pie:

1. Pour the still-molten curd into the pie crust, or let it cool in a separate container and smoosh it into the crust later. Either way, cover it with plastic wrap, letting the plastic touch the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.
2. Let it cool to room temperature, then stick it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Variation:

• Push chocolate chips into the soft curd in a pretty pattern.
• Melt about 1 ½ TBLSP chocolate chips and pour it over the top of the curd. Let it cool in the refrigerator until the chocolate is solid, about 1 hour.
• With the extra curd (there will be a few TBLSPs left over), line some candy molds with melted chocolate chips, fill with curd, and top with more melted chocolate chips. Refrigerate or freeze until you can remove them from the mold without squishing them.