Lemon Tart
Pastry and lemon curd filling is a match made in heaven especially with a dollop of cream on the side
6-8
180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4
1 hour 10 minutes
“If you want more lemon add more lemon but personally this is the right amount for me.”
Ingredients
Pastry
225g gluten-free plain flour
110g butter
60g caster sugar
1 egg
Filling
5 eggs
zest and juice of 5 lemons
225g caster sugar
175ml double cream
icing sugar to decorate
Method
To make the pastry: in a bowl, rub the gluten-free flour and butter together into breadcrumb size. Stir in the caster sugar. Beat the egg into a separate jug, then gradually add the egg into the flour, butter and sugar mix. With your hand bring together the pastry into a ball. Cling film your dough and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. I roll the pastry out between two sheets of cling film as it is less messy. Transfer the pastry to a loose base flan tin. Gently push the pastry into place and use the rolling pin across the top to remove excess pastry (leaving plenty to come over the sides of the tin). Chill the pastry for a further 15 minutes in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and place a sheet of baking parchment into it, leaving some to come over the sides of the tin. Fill with baking beans or dried pulses (or rice if you have none of these) and bake ‘blind’ for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake the empty case for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry feels dry to the touch in the base. Now turn the oven down to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6
For your lemon filling: beat the eggs in a large jug. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Add the cream, lemon zest and juice and whisk lightly until smooth.
Place the pastry case on the baking tray back in the oven. Then pour the filling straight into the pastry case in the oven to avoid having to carry the tart to the oven and spilling it. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until just set but still with a slight wobble in the middle.
Leave to cool for about 30 minutes. Remove it from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Finish with a little dusting of icing sugar. I like to serve a good slice of lemon tart with single cream. Enjoy it however you like!