Lemon Tartlets

A few days ago one of Pebble Soup's recipe made it to the top 10 of Brit Mums.  No matter what, good content makes a blog. And, it  starts with attractive recipes that work. I was pulled out a few times for recipes which didn't perform the way they should and it is not a nice feeling.

There is no danger with the following recipe, I have made it hundred times, it is a firm favorite at HQ where a birthday is not a birthday without a larger version of it.

Tartlets arrived at HQ with Lakeland Perfobake, a range of silicone perforated baking trays. The little holes help the pastry to crisp. Making 6 tarlets is also time saving: freeze so many for next time. Nothing like having the right tool for the job.

Normally, I don't bother with sweet pastry but here it is really necessary as the lemon filling is rather sharp. This is a dessert which is the sum of two parts rather than 2 separate entities.

Lemon tartlets

 

 

Makes 6

Ingredients for the pastry
250 g plain flour
125 g butter diced and softened       
75 g icing sugar (you could also use caster sugar the difference is in the finish and when working)
1 eggs  beaten 

Mix sugar and flour together, add the butter and continue mixing (this part can be done in the electric mixer.
add the beaten egg continue working until you get a ball add a little bit of water if you don't get a ball after a little while.
Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Tips: The pastry will be flattened between two sheets of cling film using a rolling pin.
For the rustic look don't trim the edges too neat, and roll the the top of the tart with both thumbs.

Ingredients for the filling:
150g sugar
150g unsalted melted butter
3 eggs
2 lemons

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

To make the filling, whisk the caster sugar to the eggs until it is smooth and white.

Add the juice of 1 lemon, the zest and mix.

Melt the butter slowly and add it to the mixture (if you feel virtuous halve the amount of butter)

Taste and add the rest of the lemon if necessary

 

To assemble roll out the pastry between two sheets of cling film until it's about one centimeter or the equivalent of a one pound coin. Using a large bowl cut circle slightly larger than the mould.

Place in the moulds and trim 1 cm over the edge.

Bake blind for 10 minutes.

Trim again

Pour the filling carefully in the cases and return to the oven for a further 25 minutes or until the filling has set, in the last 5 minutes of cooking keep an eye on the tartlets, so they don't brown too much.