Ever since I started watching Fixer Upper with mom, I have always wanted to be like Joanna Gaines. She's a fantastic businesswoman, a mom, and now a cook.
When I found out she had two cookbooks, "Magnolia Table" and "Magnolia Table, Volume 2", I knew that I wanted to get both. It turns out that my mom already had the first book, so I knew we had to complete the collection.
The next day my mom and I went to Target to get the book, and I was thrilled.
Once we got home, I immediately looked at it for at least an hour, scanning over numerous recipes that I could make. Then I came across a lemon lavender tart, and I just knew I had to make it.
For starters, I have never made a tart in my entire life. I love to bake, but I've only ever done cookies and a few cakes here and there.
A tart was a new challenge that I was so excited to make and to see if I was successful.
Recipe:
1. First I had to fit the dough into a pie pan and bake it, and I didn't even attempt to make a pie crust because that takes way too much work, and I really didn't want to risk my dough falling apart after baking it.
2. Also, I had to make the crust of the dough, and shaping it is actually pretty hard. It turned out really good before I put it into the oven, but after it kind of flopped over and the shape didn't stay that well.
Pie crust before it's cooked
3. After I put the pie crust into the oven, I started to make my filling. It had eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, lavender, and heavy cream.
4. I then had to whisk all of the ingredients together, and the crush lavender and lemon started to smell SO good.
5. After it was whisked together, I then had to cook it for 20 minutes over a double boiler. A double boiler is a technique where you set a bowl atop a simmering saucepan filled with water, trapping the heat and water underneath the bowl. This process really helped to thicken up the filling, and really bring out all of the flavors.
6. Since I had to whisk it for 20 minutes over top of the oven, my hand was so hot from the heat rising that I had to whisk it while wearing oven mitts, and it got HOT.
7. After I was done whisking the filling, I added a full stick of butter and strained it out. Then after it was completely cooled, I poured it into the pie crust and set it into the fridge.
8. After 6 hours, I had it after dinner with my family and it was delicious. The lemon flavor was perfect, and the touch of lavender really made this dish stand out. I will definitely be making this recipe again; thanks Joanna!
