This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie selection is the Tartest Lemon Tart and I had TART FAILURE.
Okay, I had a glorious run with baking successes. I should be thankful, but…this is what happens with experiments sometimes. I was due one. And let me clear up one point right now. The failure was in aesthetics, not taste. I loved the tart lemon curd (uses whole lemon) and I loved the crust. The disaster tasted wonderful and looked horrible.
I decided I was going to make mini-tarts using my mini-muffin pan. I’ve noticed when I bring in desserts to work, people are lazy about cutting their own slice of something. Even if it is the most delicious thing on earth (Tiramisù Cake). People prefer little single serving things they can just grab and sneak back to their desks.
The tart shells partially-baked perfectly and the lemon curd easily came together. I think my mistake may have been I didn’t fill the tarts with enough of the curd. Or maybe I over baked them and most of the filling bubbled and evaporated away.
I ended up with tart shells lined with tart lemon instead of filled with tart lemon. To make the metaphorical lemonade out of lemons, I used the tart lemon-lined shells to hold ice cream (of course). Dorie Greenspan suggests pairing the tart with crème fraîche, so I made Crème Fraîche Ice Cream.
The ice cream recipe comes from The Perfect Scoop and David Lebovitz suggests pairing the ice cream with Candied Cherries. I used fresh cherries I bought at the farmers’ market and made the candied cherries. One of the by-products of making candied cherries is cherry syrup. YUM.
And let me tell you, Tarty Lemon Curd-Lined Shells filled with Crème Fraîche Ice Cream and topped with Candied Fresh Cherries and Fresh Cherry Syrup are absolutely wonderful.
You can find the recipe for Crème Fraîche Ice Cream HERE.
You can find the recipe for Candied Cherries HERE.
Thank you to Babette of Babette Feasts for choosing this week’s selection. It really is delicious–for the recipe vist her blog.
Pink Stripes 
I think those lemon tartlets are adorable and look scrumptious. The Portuguese cream tarts we used to buy were always sunken in the center but were so delicious. And isn’t that what counts? Anyway, the ice cream looks perfect, so who complained?
They look perfect with the ice cream and cherries on top! Good save of a less-than-beautiful tart.
Wowie love what you did!
Mine bubbled over like a volcano, but it turned out fine after some doctoring 🙂 A little bitter, but I don’t think my lemons were of the best quality. DELICIOUS dough!
Failure? I don’t think so. The size was just perfect.
And the ice cream? mmmmmmm
And the cherries? 2x mmmmmmm
Girl – how could call this a failure. Not only did you roll with it but you slam dunked it in the end (sorry…I’m being consumed by the NBA playoffs lately).
Your “failure” looks AMAZING!!!! Great job!
pas si ratées que ça ! le principal est que tu les ais aimées ! et avec la garniture que tu as servie, ça devait être très très bon 🙂
I’m sorry, but that is the most successful “failure” I have ever seen! That looks delicious! Are you serious?!
okay, i think your mini-minis were destined to be vehicles for greatness (in the form of ice cream and cherry syrup). this looks scrumptious!
What’s that saying “when life gives you lemons…”? Well, when your oven gave you failed tarts you made a heavenly dessert! Wonderful – the cherries, the ice cream, and yes, the tarts – all wonderful.
As I suspected, ice cream is almost always the solution. Great save!
Okay… I promise I’m not trying to lick your boots, just for the heck of it.
But if you’ve ever been to Portugal (or if you research a bit on the net) you know that the national dessert over there are “pasteis de nata” – mini cream tarts… and they look exactly like your minis… and that’s exactly how they want them to look: rustic, homemade, imperfect and delicious… and they are very proud of them too!
From my point of view, Pink… in the end, you know better than anyone else how to make even mistakes, look amazing… c’mon on… with that ice cream lusciously drapped in cherries! Pfff… Oh! yeah… right… disaster (my eye!) LOL
I bet even with your idea of tart failure they tasted delicious!!! I’ll take one with my coffee this morning please. . . .
Failure? I don’t see a failure. I see an insanely yummy dessert. That ice cream and those cherries must’ve made the lemon flavor even better.
I tried to make some minis too, (with blueberries), and they were a hot mess! My whole tart came out just fine, though. Wish I knew what went wrong.
That said, you rescued yours beautifully! They look fantastic. No one would ever know the problems you had!
At least it tasted good!
It’s not a failure if it tasted good, that’s the most important part! The ice cream looks yummy too!
Love what you did with your “failed” tarts… I agree with everyone else- they don’t seem like that much of a failure.
you’re killin’ me! 🙂
I’m so sorry about the aesthetic failure… nice recovery, though, they look beautiful and I’m sure tasted yummy! I get so frustrated when something doesn’t turn out pretty, I’ve been known to throw whole cakes away because they cracked or sank in the middle. Irrational, I know!
I think it was clevere to make creme fraiche ice cream, it must have paired nicely with the tang from the lemons.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow, that definitely didn’t end up being a failure, at all! It looks absolutely delicious.
Sorry the tart didn’t work out. I am loving those cherries though!
If you are not careful, Pink, people are going to start hounding you and complaining on some Tuesday when you DON’T include a superfabulous ice cream to accompany the weekly TWD pick. I see nothing even remotely resembling failure in your dessert, and believe me, I know failure. These look wonderful!
This was no failure!
Awwww, you are still a WINNER in my book, sweetie! 😉
Yeah people do get lazy and do not want to cut their own slices, that is why they love portable desserts such as cupcakes. But keep in mind, they are getting free desserts and so, IMO, they need to bust out the plates, napkins, forks, and SLICE. I would be so grateful if you made me anything . . . you are so nice!
Where was I? Oh yes, I love your ice cream in the tart cup . . . so darn cute and so yum!
Love your attitude and spirit!
XOXO
Incredible. I have nothing else to say but seriously incredible!!
If this is a failure what do your desserts that aren’t a failure look like. All I can say is wow and can I have some please.
You shouldn’t be allowed to use the word fail! The minis look perfect and cute plain, and then with the ice cream/cherries- sheesh! Your co-workers are really lucky.
They look beautiful
Ciao ! If this is a failure I wish I had one a day !! It looks so luscious I’m dying to have one bite !
wow, such a great idea :))
the perfect little bowl for ice cream! i like the way you think!
At least they tasted yummy. I think they look good.
What a great idea!!! And they look so yummy.
Wow, your additions look fabulous! I love the mini’s and I love the cherries on top- yum!!
What fantastic ice cream cups you made! I found the tart to be too bitter but I bet the ice cream would have been a nice balance.
I think you titled this wrong…doesn’t look like a failure to me…instead it looks aluring! What a great creation…I would love to have had one of these for sure. You made candied cherries…just like that? You are so outta my league…I wouldn’t know where to begin. Cute photos…that one with the little scoop of ice cream on top is just dimply cute.
Awesome save! The lemon and tart is/was GREAT! I really need to be your neighbor sometime to try all your ice cream! Sigh. I think your cups are definitely perfect for filling with something!
I know what you mean about the single serves – I just cut tarts and cakes up myself so that there is no standing back in awe by people not wanting to cut it. Your tarts with the creme fraiche icecream and cherrie look superb!!!!! Not a fail at all.
i think your tarts look great. I loved these too
The little tartlets look great! As I was scanning down your post, I thought to myself, “I bet she’s going to put ice cream on top of them.” Ta da!
Oh my, this looks wonderful. Way to rescue a near-failure and turn it around into a triumph!
These are totally and completely adorable! I want one…I love the sour cherries. Way to make a disaster into the cutest little delicious tarts ever!
Omg, that icecream looks perfect with the tart. I don’t think the tart looks disasterous. A little colour is nice!
Wow, this looks like anything but a failure to me Wendy! I’ve made plenty of desserts that I didn’t think were much to look at but had out of this world taste. Marvelous job! Those scoops of ice cream look perfect!
Yum. The ice cream looks wonderful and your idea was ingenious! You know, I think people can take the effort to cut something if you are going to bring a delicious homemade treat.
Wow, looks like you definitely did turn lemons into lemonade! I have a feeling candied cherries are going to be on my mind for a while now – looks delish!
I am echoing most comments, but this doesn’t look like a failure to me – although can totally understand the perfectionist nature of baking. I am just about to make mine, and am thinking I should just go big.
I think the tarts look so pretty and rustic, but that cherry sauce looks amazing!
wow, they look delish! Anything that looks that tasty can hardly be considered a failure 🙂
Katie xox
Cherries? Ice cream? Not a failure. It is interesting though how sometimes these little “failures” sneak up on you. Now, you are probably in for a nice long run of successes.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Besides you said you loved the way they taste. A failure? Not so much. Did you ever dress those babies up! Wow, you paired them with fresh candied cherries. Dorie would be so pleased 🙂
AmyRuth
I completely agree about co-workers and cutting a cake. I’ve even taken to putting as much as I can in cupcake holders (cutting up cakes and brownies) so it is faster and easier! 🙂 That ice cream looks soooo delicious!!
You know if you hadn’t told us about your mishap with the tart shells we wouldn’t have even know…..fantastic save!
~ingrid
Oh my goodness, no way are these failures. They look delicious! Especially with ice cream and cherries 🙂
I think they look good and your cherries are amazing!
Sunken tart looks like a perfect container for lots of stuff – cherries, ice cream, more lemon. They look great.