14
Lemon Tart
This timeless recipe was given to me by a friend, Ka, and I adore it. It’s really light and creamy, and not quite as
heavy and intense as many other lemon tarts, yet still wonderfully fresh and zesty.
Serves 4–6
Vegetarian
For the pastry
175g (6oz) flour
Pinch of salt
100g (4oz) butter (from the fridge)
25g (1oz) caster sugar
1 egg, divided and the white lightly whisked
For the filling
3 eggs
125g (41/2oz) granulated sugar
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 lemons
100ml (4fl oz) double cream
To serve
Icing sugar
1. First, make the pastry, which can be done a day in advance of filling and serving. Sieve the flour and salt into
a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture is like crumbs. Add the
sugar and gently mix in with a fork. Drizzle in the egg yolk and lightly stir it into the mixture with a knife until
the mixture sticks. If the mixture does not come together, add 1–2 teaspoons of water. Roll out the pastry
into a round about 2cm (3/4in) thick, then cover and chill for at least 45 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5. Grease a 23cm (9in) shallow tart tin with a removable base
with a little butter.
3. When you are ready to roll out the pastry, remove it from the fridge. Place the pastry between two sheets of
cling film, which should be larger than your tart tin. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry until it’s about 3mm
(1/8in) thick and large enough to line the base and sides of the prepared tin. Make sure to keep it round, if the
tin is round, and large enough to line the base and sides of the tin. Remove the top layer of cling film and place
the pastry upside down (cling film side facing up) in the tart tin. Press into the edges, cling film still attached
and, using your thumb, ‘cut’ the pastry on the edge of the tin to give a neat finish. Remove the cling film and
pop the pastry in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
4. Next, ‘blind bake’ the pastry case. Blind baking is a way of partially cooking a pastry case before adding its
filling. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper when cold (leaving plenty to come up the sides), fill with baking
beans or dried pulses (you can use these over and over), and bake for 15–20 minutes in the oven, until the
pastry feels dry. Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little egg white and return to the oven for 2
minutes. Take out of the oven and put to one side while you prepare the filling.
5. Lower the heat (or heat to this temperature if filling the case the next day) to 120°C (250°F), Gas mark 1/2.
6. To make the filling, place the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and, using an electric hand mixer, whisk
until pale and creamy (about 10 minutes). You can also do this in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and
zest and mix for another 5 minutes, then pour in the cream and mix for a further 5 minutes. Carefully pour
the filling into the cooked pastry case in the tin, so it does not spill. Return to the oven and bake for 25–35
minutes or until the filling has just set in the centre.
7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the tart from the tin and
transferring to a plate or cake stand. When it’s cool, dredge icing sugar over the top, and cut into slices to
serve.
