Lemon Tart

Ingredients

Pastry

• Plain flour: 1 1/2 cups

• Icing sugar: 1/3 cup

• Butter: 125g, cold and chopped

• Egg yolk: 1

• Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons

• Egg: Beaten (for egg wash)

Filling

• Lemon rind: 3 teaspoons, finely grated (~3 lemons worth)

• Sugar (caster): 1/2 cup

• Lemon juice: 1/3 cup, freshly squeezed (~2 lemons worth)

• Egg: 3 eggs

• Cream: 2/3 cup

To serve

• Freshly whipped cream (with a touch of sugar and vanilla extract)

• Fresh berries

Method

1. Sift flour and icing sugar. Blend together with cold butter cubes and egg yolk. Gradually add lemon juice and blend until dough has turned into golden crumbs.

2. Knead dough quickly until it comes together. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper.

3. Press dough into a 24cm-round loose-based flan tin and remove baking paper. Remove any excess dough. Ensure the dough is evenly distributed. You may need to press pieces of the excess dough to even out the pastry. 

4. Gently prick the pastry and cover in a light coating of flour. Place baking paper over the top. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or longer if possible).

5. Pre-heat oven to 180C fan forced and blind bake for 15 minutes (i.e. place beads or rice on top of the baking paper in the tray to ensure the pastry does not rise whilst baking).

6. Sit pastry for 5 minutes and carefully remove baking paper and rice/beads. You want to ensure that the pastry does not stick to the baking paper. Use a pastry brush to coat the base with the egg wash.

7. Bake pastry case for a further 10 minutes at 180C fan forced.

8. Whilst the pastry is baking, whisk the ingredients for the filling into a jug. Skim off any foam from the top and sit for 5 minutes.

9. Take the pastry out of the oven and leave to cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 160C fan forced.

10. Pour filling mixture into the pastry case. Use a blow torch over the top of the filling to remove any bubbles.

11. Bake the lemon tart for 20 - 25 minutes or until the centre has just set.

12. Let the pastry cool then refrigerate until cold.

13. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.