PAR I S IAN L EMON TAR T

Hands-on time: 1 hour Total time: 3¼ hours Makes: 10 to 12 servings

Pastry:

1½ cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme 1 tsp grated lemon zest 1 tsp icing sugar ¼ tsp salt ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 egg yolk 1 tsp lemon juice ice water Chocolate Layer: 115 g dark chocolate (about 4 oz), chopped Lemon Filling: 3 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp granulated sugar ¼ tsp salt 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten 1 tbsp grated lemon zest ¼ cup lemon juice 4 ½ tsp unsalted butter, softened Meringue: 4 egg whites 1 cup granulated sugar

Pastry: In bowl, whisk together flour, thyme, lemon zest, icing sugar and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. In liquid measure, whisk egg yolk with lemon juice; fill with enough ice water to measure ⅓ cup. Drizzle over flour mixture, tossing with fork and adding up to 1 tsp more ice water if necessary to form smooth dough. Shape into disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 12 hours.) On lightly floured work surface, roll out pastry to ⅛-inch thickness. Fit into fluted 14- x 4-inch tart pan. Trim to fit; prick bottom of crust all over with fork. Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on bottom rack of 400°F oven for 15 minutes. Transfer to middle rack; bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Chocolate Layer: Meanwhile, in heatproof bowl set over saucepan of gently simmering (not boiling) water, melt chocolate, stirring, until smooth. Spread over cooled crust; refrigerate for 10 minutes. Lemon Filling: In heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together cornstarch, sugar and salt; whisk in 2 cups water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk onequarter of the sugar mixture into egg yolks; whisk back into pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice and butter until melted. Cool to room temperature. Scrape into baked crust; smooth top. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 1 day.) Meringue: In large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of gently simmering (not boiling) water, whisk egg whites with sugar until sugar is dissolved and candy thermometer reads 140°F. Remove from heat; beat until stiff peaks form and mixture is cooled completely, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon into piping bag fitted with large plain tip. Starting at edge of tart, pipe ½-inch dollops on top of lemon filling. Using blowtorch, toast meringue or bake in 400°F oven until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool completely.

PER EACH OF 12 SERVINGS: about 297 cal, 5 g pro, 15 g total fat (9 g sat. fat), 37 g carb (2 g dietary fibre, 22 g sugar), 72 mg chol, 120 mg sodium, 116 mg potassium. % RDI: 2% calcium, 15% iron, 11% vit A, 7% vit C, 14% folate.