Soft Beer Pretzels

The office celebrated Diversity Day yesterday by having an international lunch.  My group was assigned Europe, so I decided it was a good time to try these soft pretzels I had bookmarked.  (Why do I always take on the most challenging tasks when they're for the public?)  This was my second attempt at soft pretzels.  The first one, a King Arthur Flour recipe, is posted here.

I have three pretzel recipes bookmarked, and the basic recipe for all three is exactly the same, except for the salt quantity.  (This one had the least amount.) The dough was nice, but I added a bit of extra water and it ended up sticky, which caused problems with handling.  The pretzels stuck to my fingers, ruining their shape.  Allowing them to dry a bit helped, but perhaps better to use oiled hands.

They did not rise much prior to boiling, nor was there much oven spring.  The bulk of the rise happened during the boiling, where they became VERY delicate (often breaking during turning), developed a rough texture, and sometimes cracked, but never achieved that lacquered finish one expects.  They baked 12 minutes, and that was perhaps a little long, although they didn't become very brown.  I used a greased baking sheet rather than parchment, and there was trouble with them sticking – the longer they sat on the sheet after boiling, the more they stuck.  (I've heard from others that parchment does not eliminate the sticking problem.)  The key is to boil them just prior to baking so they don't have a chance to slurry themselves to the baking sheet, which means finessing the timing. Another thought is that boiling isn't even necessary -- the King Arthur Flour recipe requires only soaking in the baking soda solution.

Here's what I used:

For the dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) yeast
1/4 teaspoon (2g) salt
2 teaspoons (9g) sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) warm water
3/4 cup (180ml) beer
3 2 cups (500 330g) flour
1 cup (170g) bread flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons (32g) butter, softened

For the bath:
1/4 cup (50 grams) baking soda
Flaky salt, for sprinkling

Combine the yeast, salt, sugar in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Add the warm water and let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and cayenne pepper. Cut the softened butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the beer to the yeast mixture (it will foam) and stir briefly to combine. Add the liquid to the flour and mix until the dough comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Leave on the counter covered with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly oil the paper. Divide the dough into 32 pieces, keeping the unrolled pieces covered with plastic while you work. Roll one ball into a 12-inch-long rope. Form a U shape and twist the ends together twice. Fold the twisted part backward onto the center of U shape to form a circle. Gently press the ends of the rope onto the dough to seal.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough. Let rise for 20 minutes. While you wait, preheat the oven to 475 and fill your largest pot with at least 5 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil. (Ideally, this will take about 20 minutes as well.)

When the pretzels have risen and the water is boiling, add the baking soda and gently transfer as many pretzels that will fit comfortably to the bath. Cook for a minute on each side, drain well, and return to the baking sheet.

               

Boiled on the left.  Unboiled on the right.

Ready for the oven.

     
Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm with mustard.  Makes 32 3-4" pretzels.

Conclusion:  I'm going to need a lot of practice.  These were good, but did not turn out as expected.  This recipe has promise, but something in the technique went wrong.  The beer gave a slightly bitter taste that wasn't especially beer-like (I used Fosters) and the chili was undetectable. To make 32, I used 20 oz of dough for each; I think 25-30 oz would be better, as the thick spots in the pretzels were nicer.  (Compared to the photos of the originals, my ropes might have been too long as well.)  They did not keep well, becoming stale and tough within a day.  But in the end, they got eaten and even complimented, so they weren't a complete failure.

Recipe:  Pretz-ales via butter me up, Brooklyn!

Espresso Spice Pumpkin Muffins

I really want this pumpkin cakelet pan that I've been eyeing for months, but my better sense tells me it's too much of a uni-tasker to warrant the storage space needed in my tiny kitchen.  I compromised with two mini-Bundt cakelet pans, which are more versatile, and were on sale.  (You really need two cakelet pans of any sort to bake a standard recipe, and they're EXPENSIVE!!)  I thought I could use this pan to make pumpkin muffins shaped like, well, pumpkins. That was the vision, anyway.  (See my little cream cheese frosting stems?   Ehem.)  Okay, so they don't look like pumpkins.  They're still charming.

This recipe caught my attention because of the espresso powder.  I thought it might add a deeper flavor, somewhat roasty.  They sounded very sweet, though, so I cut the sugar.  I didn't use the topping since the cakelets would be turned upside down.

Here's what I used:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 ¼ 2/3 cup brown granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons dark molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp butter, melted or very soft
1/4 cup milk (any kind)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly grease and flour two cakelet pans, about 18 depressions, (or a 12-cup muffin tin.)  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and spices.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and molasses together until well blended. Stir in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract, followed by butter and the spice mixture.  Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture, mixing just until everything is combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.  Divide batter evenly into prepared cakelet or muffin cups, filling cakelet depressions only about 2/3 full. Top generously with sugar topping mixture, if using.  Bake for 12-14 minutes for cakelets (18-20 minutes for muffins), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Top cakelets decoratively (but generously -- use more than I did) with cream cheese frosting.  Yield:  about 17 cakelets.

Cinnamon Espresso Sugar Mixture
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle generously over muffin batter before baking.

Don't be stingy with the cream cheese -- use more than this.

Conclusion:  These were a nice, modest pumpkin muffin.  The coffee was not a noticeable flavor but I think was a good add, and the spices were just right.  The reduced sugar quantity made them less decadent -- suitable for breakfast -- but if you want something more rich use more sugar.  I baked the cakelets 15-16 minutes, but they were a bit dry, so 12-14 minutes would probably have been adequate.  They also domed a lot, so maybe not the best recipe for the cakelet pan anyway.  (Maybe reduce the temperature??)  I want to try them again as standard muffins with the espresso topping to see if it adds any distinction to the overall flavor.  This is a good, easy, go-to pumpkin muffin recipe.

Recipe:  Espresso Spice Pumpkin Muffins via Baking Bites

October ABC Challenge: Cinnamon Apple & Cheddar Twist Bread

I'm always a little confused when someone says a baked item tastes "just like store bought!"  I realize it's supposed to be a compliment, but when did that shift happen?  When did commercial products, with all their additives and imitation flavorings, surpass homemade?  And yet, my first response to this loaf was, "It tastes like store bought."  

To me, this is not a good thing.  In this case, though, the pure apple flavor was noticeably real and not out of a bottle, which set this loaf above any store product.  The two things that did it in were 1) the princess cake flavor, and 2) the texture.  It still was a hit at work.  One coworker's response was, 

"I just had an epiphany. I think when someone says 'store bought' in terms of baked goods, what they really mean to say is 'professional'. Huge difference. That bread was amazing. It had a professional texture and crumb and I totally tasted the cheese, just the right amount. That was great!"

I bought something called "princess cake flavoring" a while ago, not knowing what it was.  I was curious.  Now I realize it's what gives store-bought pastries their distinctive store-bought taste -- something I could never before identify.  It's not necessarily a bad taste -- sort of a mild lemony-vanilla -- but I associate it with Entenmann's and other doughy, overly sweet products, so I'm not a fan.  

Which brings me to the texture... I would call it "spongy".  Had I not baked it myself, I would have thought it had artificial texturizers in it.  Many people like that soft, squishy texture, but to me it's unnatural.  But with all that being said, I nonetheless harfed down half the loaf in one sitting!  I have to admit there is something addictive about that spongy softness!

I halved the recipe to make a single loaf, so those are the quantities shown here.  Then I made a few personal changes, shown in italics and strikeout.  I changed out the glaze completely and used a lot less of it because I don't generally like pouring what amounts to liquid sugar all over my hard work. Those quantities are approximate, as I was just winging it and tasting along the way.

Here's what I used:

Dough
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
5/8 cup bread flour
1/4 cup (1½ ounces) potato flour OR 1/4 cup dried potato flakes
1 heaping tablespoon (1/2 ounce) granular lecithin (optional)
1½ tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
5/8 teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla Princess Cake Flavor
1/2 large egg
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons cornstarch unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/16 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peeled, grated apple
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Glaze
1/2 cup 2+ tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1+ tablespoon heavy cream

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the butter, flavoring, egg, and milk, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully, making it easier to knead.

Knead the dough for about 10 minutes; it should feel slightly sticky and soft. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the dough feels firm or dry. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it's almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Before assembling the bread, toss the grated apples with the sugar mixture and mix well.  Gently deflate the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured or greased work surface. Fold it over once or twice to remove the excess gas. Roll the dough into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2-inch margin clear of filling along all sides.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Looks like a pizza.  Ha!

Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge. Transfer the log to a sheet of parchment paper or a well-greased baking sheet.  Cut the log in half lengthwise. Keeping the filling side up, twist the two halves together, working from the center to each end. Pinch the ends together. Cover the twist lightly and set aside to rise for 1 to 2 hours.

Just before baking.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the loaves after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if it's browning too quickly around the edges. (I rotated after 12 minutes and baked for a total of 25.)  Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for about 1 hour before glazing and serving.  Mix together all of the glaze ingredients and drizzle it over the loaf once it's cool.


Conclusion:  I'm not sure I'd make this again.  It was good, but fussy to make and not sure it's worth all that trouble.  The apple mixture is too wet for this style of bread and so you can't use much of it, while I think the loaf could have used more filling.  It's not terribly sweet, which is fine because you could serve it with some of the richer breakfast items.  I would have liked a much applier-cheesier filling, something more streusely.  The bread recipe is a good one to remember, though, for when you want a very soft white loaf.  (Maybe for monkey bread!)

Recipe:  Cinnamon Apple Twist Bread via King Arthur Flour

Maid of Honour tart (Almond Tart Bake-off)

When I saw the September Avid Baker's Challenge for almond tarts, I remembered this similar recipe and decided to do a bake-off taste test.  The original recipe yields 12 tarts, but doesn't specify what size.  I reduced the recipe by 1/6, assuming I would get two tarts.

Not having a proper mini tart pan, I used a 4.25" pie tin.  I quickly realized this was far too large.  For one, I had to roll the pastry paper thin to get something that would fit in the tin.  That didn't seem right.  And then I saw that not only would a single teaspoon of jam barely wet the bottom, but the filling I'd made certainly wouldn't cover it.  I decided to make a single tart, but I still had to add more jam to give a respectable layer, and barely had enough almond filling to spread across it.  I suspect the tarts should have been made in something more the size of a standard muffin tin (which would explain the yield of the original recipe), or even a tassie tin.  The photo in the original recipe shows tarts with a substantial depth, although they looked at least 3" across.  I still don't think a teaspoon of jam would produce that thick of a layer in anything larger than a tassie, if that.  Of course the difference in size would also affect baking time, and hence the texture.

In the recipe for the almond tart challenge, I described the kitchen tools I use for these small batch exercises.  That would explain the odd measuring sizes below.

Here's what I used:

Pastry
225g 37.5g (1/3 cup) plain flour
135g 1½ tablespoons butter
2 tsp 1/3 teaspoon icing sugar
1 whole 3g egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp scant 1/2 teaspoon cold water

Filling
50g ½  tablespoon unsalted butter
75g 1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 dash spoon + 1 smidgen spoon heaping teaspoon self raising flour
pinch of baking powder
2 whole 6g (scant 1/2 teaspoon) beaten egg yolk
100g 16.7g (3 1/3 tablespoons) ground almonds
zest of 1 1/3 lemon
1 tbs ½ teaspoon cream
6 1 teaspoon damson jam
Icing sugar for dusting

Put all the pastry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a dough is formed.  Wrap in cling film and set aside for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Roll out pastry and cut 12 circles with a pastry cutter, large enough to fit the bottom of your tin and up to 1" up the sides.  Place a circle of pastry into the tin and gently press down and against the sides.

For the filling, cream the butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Stir into this the flour and beaten egg yolk. Stir and then add the almonds, lemon rind and finally the cream.  Add a teaspoon of jam into each little tart and then a spoonful of filling.  Divide any leftover filling between the tarts.  With the back of a teaspoon gently smooth over the filling so that no jam is showing.  Bake for 20 minutes; remove from the oven and leave in the tart tin to cool.  (If you try to remove them when they are still hot the pastry, which is very fragile, will start to crumble and break.  As they cool the pastry firms up.)  Dust with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  Store in an airtight tin.

Conclusion:  These were very good -- the lemon contrasted nicely with the mild plum jam, and the almond filling rounded it all out.  They weren't particularly unique tasting, though. Conventional flavors, surprisingly.

Recipe:  Maids of Honour via Maria Dernikos, using a recipe by Clarissa Dickson Wright.

September ABC challenge: Almond Tart and Bake-off

This promises to be an amazing dessert.  It just needs... something.  I'm not sure what that is, yet. But I'm happy to keep working on it.  Meanwhile, I made this as part of an almond tart bake-off, the other recipe being a Maid of Honour tart.

I didn't want to be trapped in the house with 6 of these things (“Danger, Will Robinson!”), so I reduced the recipe to create only one, and within that reduced the total sugar by 1 tablespoon.  It worked nicely.  Making these small batches, it helps to have a variety of miniature kitchen tools.  I mixed everything for this in a mini, 1-cup food processor.  The measuring spoons I used are tiny; the largest, the dash, is about equal to 1/4 teaspoon, or 16 drops of water. The pinch spoon equals 10 drops, and the smidgen spoon 6.  A mini whisk and mini spatula complete the collection.  I was, however, missing the mini tart pan.  What I used instead was really a 4.5-inch ceramic pie pan.  The tart wouldn't release from it, but I thought it worked well anyway, though it was a little deep for the filling.

The instructions call for "spreading" the filling.  My filling was so liquid, it would have evened out on its own.  I thought it must be too thin, so added another 2 teaspoons of almond flour to thicken it up just to the point that I would have to lightly spread it out in the crust.  (It's so easy to get the measurements off when reducing to such small proportions.)  I probably shouldn't have, as the final product was just a wee bit dry.

Here's what I used:

Crust
1/2 cup 3 teaspoons sugar (reduced from 4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup 4 teaspoons soft butter
1/4 teaspoon smidgen spoon salt
1 1/6 teaspoon vanilla extract (equals dash spoon + smidgen spoon)
1/2 1/12 teaspoon almond extract (equals pinch spoon)
1½ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup 2 tablespoons almond flour or finely ground sliced or slivered almonds

Filling
1/4 cup 2 teaspoons soft butter
1/4 teaspoon smidgen spoon salt
1 cup 2 tablespoons sugar (reduced from 2 2/3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 1/6 teaspoon almond extract (equals dash spoon + smidgen spoon)
1 1/6 teaspoon vanilla extract (equals dash spoon + smidgen spoon)
3 large eggs ½ egg, about 30g
1 1/4 cups 3 1/3 tablespoons almond flour

Glaze
1 cup glazing sugar or confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
raspberries, for garnish
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
about 1 teaspoon heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  To make the crust, beat together the sugar, butter, salt, and extracts.  Add the flours, stirring to make crumbs that cling together when squeezed.  Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of six 4 1/2" mini tart pans (or a full-size tart pan; see tips, at left); prick them all over with a fork.  Freeze the crusts for 15 minutes, then bake them until they're just beginning to brown on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool while you make the filling.

To make the filling, beat together the butter, salt, sugar, flour, and extracts.  Beat in the egg, then add the almond flour, stirring just to combine. Spread the filling into the crust.  Bake the tart for 18 to 24 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan.

To make the glaze, gently heat the chocolate and cream together until melted and stir thoroughly.  (Adjust cream quantity until chocolate is of a dribbling consistency.)  Spoon into a plastic bag, cut off the tip, and squeeze decoratively onto tart.


Conclusion:  Delicious.  I liked this very much.  It was a little intense; but I wouldn't add ice cream, or even  whipped cream, as I think the delicate almond flavor would be lost.   Maybe a little vanilla custard would do.  A little more chocolate would have been nice, too.

Recipe:  Almond tarts via King Arthur Flour

Grain-free Acorn Squash Muffins

I'm a little done with this same flavor behind all these grain-free bread products, all made with almonds.  I suppose I might feel the same way if I'd never had wheat products and suddenly all my breads were made with it.  It's my new normal.  <sigh>

That said, these were tasty.  I reduced the sweetening to a soup spoon's scoop of honey and added a little maple flavoring, although I wish I'd used molasses instead.  These are best still warm.  They're very delicate while warm, so a bit testy getting out of the pan, but nothing a chopstick and finger nails couldn't handle.

Here's what I used:

1 cup roasted acorn squash puree
1 cup unsalted almond butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 heaping soup spoon honey
1/4 teaspoon maple flavoring
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a muffin or cakelet tin.  Mix all the ingredients until well-blended and pour immediately into the prepared pan.  (If using a cakelet pan, fill no more than 2/3 full.  Rap sharply on the counter a few times to release air bubbles and settle the batter fully into the pan.)  Bake for 18-20 minutes for cakelets -- may need a few more minutes for full-sized muffins.  Allow to cool in pan until easy to handle but still warm, then remove carefully. Yields 16 moderately-sized cakelets, 24 short ones.

Conclusion:  These were tasty, but with the same texture and background flavor as other almond-based baked goods, which just isn't the same.  I think I'll ditch the maple flavoring next time and use molasses instead of honey.  That will give a little more flavor to hopefully counteract the almond butter.

Original recipe:  Paleo Acorn  Cakelets via Enjoying This Journey

Meyer Lemon Tart

There's an old saying:  when co-workers give you lemons... make lemon tart!  Or something like that.

Someone brought a huge bag of lemons to work, all bumpy, sooty, and misshapen.  A big sniff of the contents revealed the distinct orange of Meyer lemons.  Having been invited to a dinner of tikki masala and palak paneer the following day, I decided to make a fresh lemon tart for dessert.

I'd seen this video on YouTube of a British lady making a classic lemon tart, and the impression was that she was the Queen of Lemon Tarts.  It turned out to be Mary Berry on the heels of a Great British Bake Off.  It was a video more for entertainment than instruction, and her results were different from mine.  For example, her crust dough was butter yellow.  Also, she ended up with exactly a pint of filling, which fit perfectly in her 9-inch pan (of course), while I had more than a pint, and extra filling, even though I was using a 9.5-inch pan.  Granted, my measurements had to be adjusted slightly for the conversions, and of course eggs come in different sizes, but it shouldn't have made much of a difference.  The magic of Hollywood.  (Paul Hollywood, hahaha... get it?  Okay, never mind...)

The other big mystery is that everyone knows cream will curdle in lemon juice, and yet here we are mixing the two.  She doesn't say anything about it.  I ended up with large globs of curdled cream, and had to pull out the electric mixer to break them down.  The final product also had a somewhat curdled texture, which I was not anticipating.  (I wanted something very smooth, more like lemon curd.)

About the ingredients:  Meyer lemons are not as acidic and have an orange flavor, so the tart will be less tangy, like an orange/lemon cross.  Double cream has a higher fat content than heavy cream -- there is no widely-available commercial equivalent in the U.S.  According to Mary, using granulated sugar in place of caster sugar (which has a slightly smaller grain size) will give a rough surface.  Indeed it did.  There must be something else causing the difference, because I completely dissolved the sugar in the solution, so grain size wouldn't have had an effect.  It's the froth that causes the rough surface texture, but I don't know what is making the froth.  I added a little salt not only to brighten the lemon flavor but also to balance the sweet richness of the dessert, and I lessened the sugar in the crust slightly.  Other recipes call for up to 1/2 cup more sugar in the filling -- I found this plenty sweet as it is, especially since Meyer lemons aren't as tart.  In fact, I would prefer this with regular lemons in order to give it more zip.

Here's what I used:

For the pastry

175g/6oz plain flour
25g/3 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
100g/7 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter and process until no butter pieces remain.  Add egg yolk and water and process until it comes together in a ball.  Knead lightly for a few seconds and shape into a disk.  Place a 9-inch tart base on a non-stick surface (such as parchment or a pastry cloth) and sprinkle with flour.  Roll out the dough on top of the base to about 1/8" thick, extending about 2" beyond the base edge.  Flip the edges to the center and move the base with the pastry into the tart pan.  Lift the pastry edges back up and press dough firmly against the sides of the pan.  Allow the excess dough to fold over the outside pan edge.  Prick dough lightly all over, line pan with foil, and fill with baking beans.  Bake on a cookie sheet at 200C/400F for about 10 minutes.  Remove tart from oven, remove foil, and trim edge of pastry.  (You can leave the pieces on the sheet to finish baking, for later snacking.)  Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, until pastry is completely dry.  Allow to cool.  Reduce oven to 160C/325F.

For the filling
5 eggs
225g (1 cup) caster granulated sugar
zest of 4 lemons
150ml (2/3 cup) lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
1/8 teaspoon salt
125ml (1/2 cup) double heavy cream
confectioner's sugar, for dusting (optional)

In a bowl with a pour spout (I used my 4-cup liquid measuring cup), whisk eggs and sugar together until smooth.  Add zest, juice, and salt and mix until well combined, then whisk in cream.  With the tart pan still on the cookie sheet, place on the oven shelf.  Stir the filling contents, then pour filling into tart pan and bake for about 35 minutes -- it should still have a wobble in the middle.  Leave to cool in tin for about 10-15 minutes, then remove from tin and cool completely.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Best served cool, but not right out of the refrigerator.

Conclusion:  Good.  Not great.  Whenever I have lemon something, I expect a great tangy impact, and rarely receive it.  This was no exception.  That was partly due to the use of Meyer lemons, so it's not a fair criticism.  I still have issue with the texture, though, and I don't know if that was my inexpertise or the recipe.  (I blame it on the curdled filling.)

Original recipe:  Mary Berry's Lemon Tart video with Paul Hollywood (from which I transcribed the recipe) or her written recipe for Tarte au Citron via BBC Food.