Atlantic Beach Tart (lemon tart with a saltine cracker crust!)

Before going on vacation, I was memorized by something I saw on Martha Bakes so it was one of the first things I made when we got back home.  It was an "Atlantic Beach Tart", a lemon tart featuring a very unique (certainly, to me) saltine cracker crust!

A really easy lemon tart, featuring a saltine cracker crust and sweet-tart lemon filling

I was intrigued by this crust, which I'd never heard of!  I've used graham crackers, digestive biscuits, Oreo cookies, and chocolate wafer cookies for easy press-in crusts but never thought about using saltines - those crackers I have on standby at home in case of upset stomachs!  I was really curious and eager to try and have a taste.

But first, back to the tart itself...I learned that the Atlantic Beach tart has its roots in North Carolina.  It was a dessert commonly served at seafood restaurants along the North Carolina coast.  I saw it called a "lazy" lemon tart because of how easy it is to make! The crust is a basic press-in one you'd make much like any other similar ones, and the lemon filling (which you could also make lime or a combination of lemon and lime) is beyond simple, as it only involves whisking sweetened condensed milk with egg yolks and lemon (and/or lime) juice.  

Happily, I was rewarded with a really delicious lemon tart after this experiment.  For me, the best part was that crust!  The saltines - crushed and ground together with butter and some sugar, then baked - makes for this salty-sweet shell that is kind of irresistible.  I thought it tasted very much like a salty shortbread/pate sucree tart crust.  So very interesting and definitely worth a try for anyone else as curious about it as I was.  

And the filling is distinctly lemony and tart but also sweet because of the richness and sweetness of the condensed milk.  It's thick, dense, and creamy - perfect for those who like their lemon tarts a little less puckery and a bit sweeter, like my husband who turned out to be a big fan of this recipe.  Once topped with some whipped cream, you could even sprinkle a few flakes of coarse sea salt on top to accentuate the salty vibe going on.  Somehow, I really can picture myself sitting at the seaside and ordering a slice of this Atlantic Beach tart after a seafood dinner!

I have to correct myself and note that I actually ended up with "a few" great lemon tarts because I divided my half-recipe and made 3 mini tarts.  I was very relieved when they all (even the 2 smaller tarts baked in a tart tin without a removable bottom) popped out successfully.  

Clearly, there is always something new and interesting to try in the kitchen, and I am grateful for that!

I've been watching Martha Stewart for a long time now and I still learn something new when I least expect it and oftentimes, I see classics with a new, updated spin.  Even with something as deeply rooted as cooking and baking, it evolves.  Food can be both a history lesson and a new adventure.  It truly nourishes us and brings us together; it's a beautiful thing!

So there I was a couple of weeks ago, watching one of Martha's shows on DVR and not expecting to see anything unusual when my head snapped up at the sound of this saltine cracker crust.  I had to try it.

As I do so often, I divided the recipe in half (the recipe listed below is for the full-size tart). For me, that meant 2 ounces, or 17, saltine crackers, 4 tablespoons of butter, and 2 tablespoons of sugar into the food processor.  You can imagine the salty-sweet vibe starting already.

For some reason, I do not have a 6-inch tart pan so I grabbed a few of my mini's. One is about 4.5" in diameter while the other two I used are just about 4-inches wide.  The larger has a removable bottom while the smaller two do not; thankfully, I find that tapping them slightly and inserting a sharp knife into an edge of the mini tart pans does the trick of getting the tarts to pop right out.

The tart shells bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden (they'll smell marvelous).  Now, the interesting thing that I want to note is that about midway through baking, I noticed the tart crust had puffed up.  Seeing that, I removed them from the oven and used a spoon to press the crust down before continuing to finish the baking.  With that, they came out just the way I wanted.  There was no mention of this need to press the crust down in the recipe but I recommend keeping an eye on it and doing so if necessary.

Now, the filling...it is undeniably easy to make!  I took half a can, or 7 ounces, of sweetened condensed milk and whisked in 2 egg yolks.  Then, I whisked in 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2 lemons (again, you can use lime or a combination of both) and it is done!

Pour the filling into the cooled tart crusts and they are ready for the oven.  It only took about 12 minutes for my filling to set and the tarts were ready to be removed from the oven and allowed to cool.  Once fully cooled, chill it completely.  I let it chill over night before digging in.

To finish, a light topping of freshly whipped cream goes on top.  You could add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of that if you wish.  

I can see why those smart seaside restaurants designed this dessert.  It's easy and casual, like summer and beach days should be, and the salty-sweet as well as tart, bright flavors are what people want in the summer.

This tart crust made with saltines is wonderfully salty and sweet, with a shortbread-like texture.  It's familiar yet different...with the crackers finely ground like this, I don't think I would be able to tell/identify that it was made with saltines but it would make total sense once the "secret" was revealed.  Maybe I'll try a Ritz cracker tart crust next?  This has me thinking about what other possibilities I've missed so far!

Recipe:

Atlantic Beach Tart (Lemon Tart with Saltine Crust)
Adapted from Martha Stewart

- For one 9-inch tart (I divided the recipe in half and made a 3 mini tarts) - 

For the saltine cracker crust:
4 ounces saltine crackers (about 34 crackers)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar

For filling:
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (you can also use lime juice or a combination of the two)

For topping: Freshly whipped cream; flaky sea salt (optional)

Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place saltine crackers into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add butter and sugar, and pulse to combine.  Transfer crumbs to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Bake until crust is golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Check on the tart midway through baking; if it has puffed up, remove it from the oven and press down on it using a wooden spoon to flatten it again.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Make filling: Whisk condensed milk together with the egg yolks.  Add citrus juice and whisk to combine.  Pour filling into the cooled crust and bake until filling is just set, about 16-18 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack, then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Before serving, remove the sides of the tart pan and place tart onto a serving plate. Top with softly whipped cream, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, if desired.