Meyer Lemon Curd with Goat Cheese Pastry

To make the dough: In a food processor combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt and pulse 3-4 times to blend. Scatter the butter over the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture is the consistency of cornmeal. Scatter the goat cheese over the mixture and pulse just until the ingredients come together in a ball. On a clean work surface shape the dough into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours or overnight. Day of, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pastry from the refrigerator and let come to room temp for about 20minutes. Roll the pastry into a rectangle about 14”X3” and about 1/4 thick. Cut pastry into 2” strips and assemble on an ungreased sheet pan. Score each strip with a fork in several places. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, just until golden brown, and still a little soft. Cool pastry slightly.

To make the Meyer lemon curd: Juice the lemons and strain to remove seeds and pulp, set aside. In a medium size bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks, 2 eggs, sugar and the lemon juice. Heat to a steady simmer in a pot that can hold the medium bowl, with about 1-2 inches of water. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water making sure that the bowl is not touching the water. Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture starts to thicken.(about 7 minutes) Be careful to keep the hot water bath heat steady, but not too hot. Remove the bowl from the heat and switching to a wooden spoon, begin to add butter pieces, 3-4 pieces at a time, mixing well after each addition, until all the butter is mixed in. Strain lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl, and cover with a slightly buttered piece of plastic wrap, placed directly on the curd to keep from forming a skin. Refrigerate lemon curd for 1 hour and up to overnight.

Serving and presentation: Top each pastry strip with a generous spoonful of lemon curd, sprinkle with Demerara sugar and whipped cream if you wish. Pop the Iron Horse Russian Cuvee