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Lemon Tart

The perfect English summer sweet

Serves

12

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

3 hours

Also known as tarte au citron, this elegant sweet treat is a quintessential summer classic and perfect for every occasion. When serving, add a dollop of crème fraîche or some fresh raspberries for that extra wow factor.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

100g unsalted butter
100g  icing sugar
250g

plain flour, 

2 medium eggs

For the lemon filling:

lemons, zested and juiced
110g caster sugar
4 medium eggs
175ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas mark 4.

2. Begin by making the pastry. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar.

3. Add the flour, a pinch of salt, 2 eggs and a tbsp of water. Mix until a sticky dough is formed.

4. Leave the dough to chill for 2 hours.

5. Once chilled, dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the pastry mix.

6. Place the pastry in a tart tin, cover with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans.

7. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes, and then set aside to cool.

8. For the lemon filling; whisk together the lemon juice, caster sugar and 4 eggs.

9. Pass the mixture through a sieve, before adding double cream and the zest of 3 lemons.

10. Pour this mixture into the cooled tart case, and bake again for 40-45 minutes until set.

11. Leave to cool somewhere warm (to avoid cracking) and once done so, sprinkle some icing sugar across the top.

Chef’s tips

Try not to overwork the pastry, otherwise it will be hard, and lose its crumbly texture. To test if the lemon filling is cooked, insert a sharp knife into the centre and pull slightly to one side. If you can see the base, then it’s cooked. 

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