Classic Lemon Tart
A classic French lemon tart with a crisp pastry shell and a silky custard filling, brightened with fresh lemon juice for a fragrant, balanced finish.
Ingredients
all-purpose flour
175 g
powdered sugar
40 g
butter (chilled)
75 g
large free-range egg yolk
1
large free-range egg (beaten)
1
large free-range eggs (for the custard)
2
large free-range egg yolks (for the custard)
4
caster sugar
175 g
half-fat fresh cream
200 ml
lemon juice
juice of 2 lemons
powdered sugar (for dusting)
to taste
Instructions
1
Make the pastry
Put the flour, powdered sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse for 30 seconds, then add 1 tbsp cold water and pulse for a further 30 seconds until the dough just starts to come together (do not overmix or the pastry will be tough). Tip out onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2
Blind bake the tart shell
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Roll out the dough between two sheets of cling film and use it to line a greased 23cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin, leaving a little overhang. Prick the base lightly with a fork, line with baking paper, fill with baking beans and chill for at least 20 minutes or freeze for later use. Place the tin on a baking tray and blind bake for 15 minutes until just starting to colour. Remove the paper and beans, brush all over with the beaten egg and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until pale golden. Leave to cool, then carefully trim the edges with a sharp knife.
3
Make the lemon custard
Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together, then stir in the cream. Add the lemon juice and pour into a jug.
4
Bake the lemon tart
Pour half of the custard into the tart shell. Pull the oven rack halfway out to keep the tin level and pour in the remaining custard. Push the rack back in and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes until the centre has a slight wobble. Leave to cool in the tin.
5
Decorate and serve
Transfer the tart to a large serving plate and dust generously with powdered sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar if you have one. Serve with fresh raspberries.
