Lemon Tart
This lemon tart recipe combines a crisp, buttery pastry crust with a luscious, tangy lemon filling. The zesty flavors and creamy texture make this dessert a delightful treat for any occasion.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 250g/9oz plain flour
- 100g/3½oz cold butter
- 25g/1oz icing sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 free-range egg
- 14 free-range eggsegg
- 550g/1lb 4oz caster sugar
- 700ml/1¼ pint double cream
- 10 large lemons
- 500g/1lb 2oz crème fraîche
Instructions
- For the pastry, put the flour, butter, icing sugar and salt in a bowl and rub with the tips of your fingers until it resembles the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg and mix together until it forms a dough, then knead lightly on a work surface until smooth.
- Roll into a ball then flatten slightly, wrap in cling film and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
- For the tart, preheat the oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3½ and butter a 25cm/10in tart ring (approximately 4.5cm/1¾in deep).
- Break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar, cream, lemon zest and juice and whisk gently to combine. Place in the fridge to chill.
- Roll out the pastry on a work surface lightly dusted with flour to about 3mm thick â keep turning the pastry a quarter turn every time you roll it so you end up with a perfect circle of pastry.
- Put the buttered tart ring on a flat baking sheet then line it with the pastry, carefully lifting the pastry up then pressing it into the base of the ring, leaving any excess hanging over the edge.
- Line with a several sheets of cling film to cover the pastry and hang over by 10cm/4in then fill the tart with flour, raw rice or baking beans. Fold the cling film back over the flour/rice and bake for 15 minutes. Not all cling film is suitable for use in the oven but aluminium foil or baking parchment can be used instead if preferred.
- Remove the cling film and flour/rice, brush the inside of the tart with the beaten egg and return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes, or until just golden-brown.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
- Skim off any bubbles from the top of the lemon cream and discard.
- Pour half the lemon cream into the pastry case, then transfer to the oven before adding the rest of the filling (this prevents any spillage and gives a neat finish).
- Bake for an hour, or until the filling is set but still just wobbling in the centre. Leave to cool at room temperature.
- To serve, cut the tart into wedges and dust with icing sugar. Glaze either by putting the tart under a hot grill or by using a blow torch. Serve with a quenelle of crème fraîche.
Cook Time
2H
Prep Time
PT1H
Yield
Serves 6-8
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