Meyer Lemon Tart with Candied Lemon and Peel

Spring is here! It came a month ago already but it seems like California got a late Winter this year. We had cold, rainy, and windy days last week, which is good since we are in severe drought. I even saw some snow on the top of the mountain on my way to work last week. I also saw rainbows, a few times! Despite being thankful for the rain, I have to say that I still LOVE the California sunny warm days, which what we have been getting the past few days after all that cold. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of the year, I open the windows all day, I try to have lunch outdoor, getting ice creams, it also makes me in the mood of baking!

I baked a lot for these past few weeks, M said that I produce desserts more than he could ever consumed it. Among them are a couple entremets, brownies, cheesecakes, and of course lemon tarts! I got these lemons from M's boss' boss. He got a big meyer lemon tree (and regular tree) and he gave me a bucket full of them. I made them into tarts and cheesecakes a few months ago, but he kept giving me more! and of course I gladly accept it. So I made more and more of this tart. M would never complain as he could eat this everyday literally, it is his absolute favorite dessert that I make. Another coworker also offered me a big bag of meyer lemons from his tree, how lucky!

I made and posted this tart many times before plain and with meringue here, with white chocolate strawberry (inspired by Hidemi Sugino's lemon tart spring edition), meringue, but I am posting it again this time because I finally found my personal favorite, which is using candied lemon peels! So I think I will stick to this from now on, unless M requested his other favorite with strawberry and white choc. cream occasionally.

I never made candied lemons or candied lemon peels before. I tried my hand on candied lemons a few months ago and found that it enhances the lemon flavor of the tart. Then, I remember that Pierre Herme uses candied lemon peels in the bottom of his lemon tart, as well as on the top and I want to try that one too. There are many recipes for candied lemon peels, which have basically the same method, blanching it a few times, then boil it in sugar water until it becomes translucent. What is different is some of them uses the pith, the other uses just the yellow part.

I followed Pierre Herme's recipe for his spiced candied citrus peel, except that I used no spices (except sugar and vanilla bean) and using just lemon. His recipe says to include the pith, even including some of the inside of the lemons. After they are done, I tasted it and found that it was really bitter. I don't know where I did wrong, maybe because I didn't blanch it long enough? But I drained all the sugar syrup, scraped the pith out, and reboil it again. It became softer than I wanted it but that's ok as long as it is not bitter. I kept it in mason jar with the syrup and it keeps for months. I have been using this baby everytime I make lemon tarts now. Sometimes I would put it in the bottom of the tart, and sometimes just the top, and then brushed it with translucent glaze to make it shiny. I really like the simplicity of the look, and not to mention that it intensify the lemon flavor without it being tart.

This tart is so perfect to make this season, it has that bright and summery flavor, although sadly, it was cloudy when I took picture of this tart.
Ah, many cakes to make, I am excited to try something new! I still have lots of bright orange meyer lemons in my fridge and I am thinking to make them into entremet for once. We will see!