lemon cream tart
So what to make in my new tin? Obviously it needed to be a tart and with a clutch of lemons from my brother's lemon tree, a lemon tart seemed just the thing. I looked through my copy of 'Beatrix Bakes, Another Slice' by Natalie Paull and came upon her recipe for Lemon Cream Tart. I used my regular almond shortcrust pastry for the tart shell but was keen to try the filling.
Now I have a lemon tart recipe that I've used for years, but I was keen to try out another recipe. My regular tart filling is made with double cream and when I've made it with single cream, the filling has cracked. Natalie's recipe is made with single cream, so as I made it I kept my fingers crossed that the filling wouldn't crack as the tart cooled. The filling cracked. Thankfully the recipe makes a little more filling than you need and I'd already cooked the curd to setting point so I spooned some of the leftover curd over the top of the tart, smoothed it out with my off-set spatula then put the tart back into the fridge for a while to allow the curd to set. Whilst not perfect, it looked good enough that my neighbours were none the wiser.
Here's the recipe for you, almost word for word from Natalie, which makes a 3cm deep 18cm tart. For all my recipes I use a 250ml cup and a 20-ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven so if your oven is fan forced you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C. The tart can be kept at room temperature on the first day then chilled up to 2 days but bring to room temperature before eating.
Almond shortcrust pastry
55g cold unsalted butter, diced
25g icing or caster sugar
15g almond meal
100g plain flour
55g cold unsalted butter, diced
25g icing or caster sugar
15g almond meal
100g plain flour
pinch sea salt flakes
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
iced water water
Method
To make the pastry, combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor, and whiz for a few seconds until well combined and free of lumps. Add the cold butter and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and a little iced water and whiz until a soft dough just starts to form around the blade. Remove the dough from the food processor and gather the pastry into a ball; flatten slightly before wrapping in plastic and placing in the fridge. Refrigerate the pastry for 30 minutes.
Fill a 25 cm wide saucepan with 5 cm of water, place on the stovetop and bring to a low simmer. Choose a stainless-steel bowl to sit on top that is slightly wider than the pan so the bottom of the bowl won't touch the water. Into that bowl (before placing it over the saucepan), place the 3 eggs and the yolk. Place the egg white in a separate small bowl and lightly whisk to break it up you'll use this to seal the tart shell later.
Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon, then juice all the lemons, strain and weigh 90 g/ml of juice. Add the zest into the juice and set aside.
If the filling cooks fast and gets chunky and set at the edges of the bowl, just give the mix a vigorous whisk off the stove to redistribute the heat. Pre-cooking the filling gives you a creamier mouthfeel and means the custard won't separate into layers during baking.
Preheat your oven to 140°C conventional and adjust the oven racks - set one in the lower part of the oven and remove all the ones above it, allowing space to manoeuvre a jug in easily to pour the filling in later.
Place the blind-baked crust, still in the tin, on a shallow baking tray. If there are any large cracks or dipped sides, massage a little leftover dough to a soft paste consistency and gently patch any large fissures taking care not to press hard and break the crust. Then meticulously brush the inside of the tart with the whisked egg white.
Return the baking tray and crust to the oven and bake for 5 minutes to seal the crust before filling. With the tart still in the oven, and your eye on where the crust edge is lowest, carefully and slowly pour the custard into the crust to fill as far as you can. If your jug, when tilted, is too big for the oven, switch to a smaller cup to scoop in the last of the mix. Don't overfill, or the filling will cascade between the crust and tin.
If you're using a shallow tin, bake for 25-30 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes and then check in 5-minute increments) until there is a 2 to 3 inches diameter centre of quivering, thickshake like filling in the middle of the tart. If using a deep tin, bake for 40-50 minutes but start checking at 35 minutes. This wobbly centre will continue to cook and set firmer upon cooling. Turn the oven off, keep the door closed and leave for 5 minutes. The wobbly centre should have set firm and feel like the most delicate bouncy custard trampoline when touched lightly with your fingertips.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour (longer for deeper tarts) before cutting the first slice. You can also chill to hasten the setting (and eating).
I have given you a little extra filling in case you need it (slightly larger tin, super tall crust sides with no blind-baking shrinkage you genius!). You can cook the leftover in the double boiler to 80°C (175°F), then chill to set in a wee dish.
Please note, if you've overcooked the tart or if you keep the tart for a few days, cracks will appear along the crust line. To repair, a little smear across the crack towards the crust with a small palette knife will cover it up.
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
iced water water
Method
To make the pastry, combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor, and whiz for a few seconds until well combined and free of lumps. Add the cold butter and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and a little iced water and whiz until a soft dough just starts to form around the blade. Remove the dough from the food processor and gather the pastry into a ball; flatten slightly before wrapping in plastic and placing in the fridge. Refrigerate the pastry for 30 minutes.
Roll out the soft pastry to 4mm between two sheets of baking paper. Remove the paper and drape the pastry into the tart case, gently pressing it into the edges and base. Place the lined tart case into the freezer until the pastry is firm, around 30 minutes, or in the fridge for an hour.
To blind bake
The uncooked tart case can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for 2 days. Trim before filling by cutting the edge with a sharp knife. Reserve any remaining pastry or offcuts for later use.
Preheat the oven to 170°C, conventional. Place aluminium foil, dull side down, into the chilled and lined tart then fill with weights - baking beans, sugar or raw rice work well. Bake for 40 minutes until dry, then remove the weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden. Place on a wire rack to cool
Lemon custard filling
150g egg (3 eggs)
20g egg yolk (1 egg, reserving the white to seal the tart shell)
2 large lemons
120g caster sugar
150g/ml cream, preferably double
150g egg (3 eggs)
20g egg yolk (1 egg, reserving the white to seal the tart shell)
2 large lemons
120g caster sugar
150g/ml cream, preferably double
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
Fill a 25 cm wide saucepan with 5 cm of water, place on the stovetop and bring to a low simmer. Choose a stainless-steel bowl to sit on top that is slightly wider than the pan so the bottom of the bowl won't touch the water. Into that bowl (before placing it over the saucepan), place the 3 eggs and the yolk. Place the egg white in a separate small bowl and lightly whisk to break it up you'll use this to seal the tart shell later.
Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon, then juice all the lemons, strain and weigh 90 g/ml of juice. Add the zest into the juice and set aside.
For the next step, have all the components separate and ready to build the filling fast. This will stop the sugar and lemon juice reacting with the egg yolk and little hard orange lumps forming. Add the sugar into the egg bowl and hand whisk together until combined, but not frothy. Whisk in the lemon juice/zest, then whisk in the cream and salt until fully combined. Place the bowl on the double boiler, gently whisking often until the mix reaches 60°C (140°F) around 8-10 minutes. The custard will get a little thicker, the foam will dissipate, and the custard will turn a more sunshiny yellow.
If the filling cooks fast and gets chunky and set at the edges of the bowl, just give the mix a vigorous whisk off the stove to redistribute the heat. Pre-cooking the filling gives you a creamier mouthfeel and means the custard won't separate into layers during baking.
Remove the bowl from the heat and pour the filling through a fine sieve into a measuring jug. Discard the zest. If you have a little froth on the top you can spoon this off, but it's not vital. Set the filling aside at room temperature while you prepare the crust.
Preheat your oven to 140°C conventional and adjust the oven racks - set one in the lower part of the oven and remove all the ones above it, allowing space to manoeuvre a jug in easily to pour the filling in later.
Place the blind-baked crust, still in the tin, on a shallow baking tray. If there are any large cracks or dipped sides, massage a little leftover dough to a soft paste consistency and gently patch any large fissures taking care not to press hard and break the crust. Then meticulously brush the inside of the tart with the whisked egg white.
Return the baking tray and crust to the oven and bake for 5 minutes to seal the crust before filling. With the tart still in the oven, and your eye on where the crust edge is lowest, carefully and slowly pour the custard into the crust to fill as far as you can. If your jug, when tilted, is too big for the oven, switch to a smaller cup to scoop in the last of the mix. Don't overfill, or the filling will cascade between the crust and tin.
If you're using a shallow tin, bake for 25-30 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes and then check in 5-minute increments) until there is a 2 to 3 inches diameter centre of quivering, thickshake like filling in the middle of the tart. If using a deep tin, bake for 40-50 minutes but start checking at 35 minutes. This wobbly centre will continue to cook and set firmer upon cooling. Turn the oven off, keep the door closed and leave for 5 minutes. The wobbly centre should have set firm and feel like the most delicate bouncy custard trampoline when touched lightly with your fingertips.
I have given you a little extra filling in case you need it (slightly larger tin, super tall crust sides with no blind-baking shrinkage you genius!). You can cook the leftover in the double boiler to 80°C (175°F), then chill to set in a wee dish.
Please note, if you've overcooked the tart or if you keep the tart for a few days, cracks will appear along the crust line. To repair, a little smear across the crack towards the crust with a small palette knife will cover it up.
To serve - after baking, cool to room temperature for 1 hour, then chill for 30 minutes (unchilled, the filling is a little too tremulous). Or chill further for creamier, stable slices. If the tart surface is a little uneven in colour, dust with icing sugar and wait until the sugar dissolves. Your tart should now be smooth. If all else fails, dredge the surface thickly with icing sugar to cover any imperfections.
This makes a lovely, soft set gently lemon flavoured tart. If I were to make this tart again, I'd make it with double cream just to see if that would keep the cracks at bay.
See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.
Bye for now,
Jillian
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