A spin on the classic French dessert, ‘tarte au citron’, this Lemon Tart incorporates all the rich, flaky, buttery goodness of its traditional counterpart while minimising effort.
It is important to note that Lemons are usually large, oval in shape and are of a bright yellow colour while Limes are small, round and green. Both citruses are acidic and sour in flavour but lemons tend to be sweeter while limes have a slightly bitter flavour. Thus, the usage of lemons is preferred in the preparation of most desserts. However, in most South Asian countries, Lemons are expensive and not commonly available. Therefore, this recipe is flexible as you can use either to end up with an equally delicious outcome!
While preparing the crust, ensure that your butter does not melt and that you do not overwork the dough (this is a no-knead dough) as that would ruin the flaky layers of the pastry.
‘Blind baking’, is a process used for pies or tarts that usually contain an unbaked filling, such as a cream or curd, like this one. Metal beads, rice, dried peas, lentils, beans and other pulses are used as ‘weights’ during the blind baking process which ensures the pastry does not puff up.
This recipe yields 8 mini tarts.
Ingredients for shortcrust pastry shell:
225g all purpose flour
115g cold, unsalted butter (cut into 1” cubes)
A large pinch of salt
Ingredients for lemon curd:
2 lemons (6-7 limes)
120g granulated sugar
57g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
⅛ tsp salt
Method to prepare tart shell:
Place your bowl into the freezer for 15 minutes before preparing the crust so that the butter remains cold.
Sieve the flour and salt together into the cooled bowl.
Using your fingertips, rub the pieces of butter with the flour in order to combine the two.
You can alternatively use a food processor to combine the flour and butter.
Once a wet sand-like consistency has formed, gradually add in 2-3 tablespoons of cold water (1 tablespoon at a time) to form a dough.
The dough should have chunks of butter spread throughout its surface.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet cloth and refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a well floured surface.
It is important to ensure that you do not overwork the pastry while rolling it.
Using a rolling pin, roll the pastry to the thickness of a coin.
Pick up your pastry using the rolling pin and spread it over your tart mould(s).
Allow it to sink into the mould(s) and cut off any excess pastry with a pair of scissors.
Tuck the pastry into the corners of the mould and flatten it out using your fingers.
Use a fork and poke several holes in the base of the pastry to ensure that the hot air can escape.
Blind bake the tart shells at 230C for 8 minutes.
Remove the weights and then bake for another 10-12 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
Method to prepare lemon curd:
Zest 2 lemons (or 2 limes) ensuring that you do not remove the pith (the white part of the lemon) as it will make your curd bitter.
Squeeze the lemons or limes to acquire ½ cup of lemon juice and set it aside.
Add the lemon zest and granulated sugar into a jar and blend them until a fine powder has formed.
In a medium bowl, add the softened butter and sugar mixture.
Cream the two together until light, pale and fluffy. NOTE: You do not have to cream the butter and sugar as much as you would for a cake batter.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Next, pour in the lemon juice and add the salt. Whisk to combine.
At this stage, your mixture would have curdled and formed many lumps. These lumps will dissolve once you cook the mixture, so don't worry!
Pour the mixture into a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly to ensure the lemon curd turns out smooth and silky.
After about 10 minutes, the mixture should come to a boil.
At this stage, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely until it turns almost opaque in colour.
Strain the mixture using a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps, large pieces of lemon zest or lemon seeds.
Pour into prepared tart shells and refrigerate overnight so that it sets.
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