The classic tarte au citron is perfect to finish a meal on a sweet and tangy note. It is a refined pastry that will make everyone see eye to eye. This recipe is not for the faint of heart but the result is worth the effort!
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients for the pastry:
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 egg yolks
- 60g icing sugar
- 125g unsalted butter, cubed, cold
Ingredients for the filling:
- 140g caster sugar
- 150ml double cream
- 5 eggs
- juice 2-3 lemons to get about 80 to 100 ml and 2 tbsp lemon zest
Method for the pastry:
- Mix the flour and icing sugar in a bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour with your hands until crumbly. Mix in the egg yolks. If the pastry is still too dry, add a few tbs water until it comes together.
- Roll into a ball and flatten out the pastry with your hands, wrap the dough in the Swag Wrap (a great replacement for plastic cling wrap!), then chill for at least 30 mins.
- While the pastry is chilling, make the filling.
Method for the filling:
- Place the lemon juice, cream, sugar and eggs into a large heatproof bowl and whisk together until well combined.
- Place a large pot half-filled with water over a high heat and bring to the boil. Place the bowl of lemon mixture onto the pot of water and reduce the heat to medium.
- Continually stir the mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon until the mix reaches 60C. If you don’t have a thermometer, cook the mix until it just starts to thicken and lightly coat the back of the wooden spoon, then remove from the heat and strain into a jug.
- Don’t whisk the mixture at this point, as it will create bubbles
Assembly:
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of a $2 coin, then lift into a 23cm tart tin. Press down gently on the bottom and sides, then trim off any excess pastry. Stab a few holes in the bottom with a fork and put back in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Carefully pour in the filling to the very top of the tart.
- Place into the preheated oven on the middle shelf and bake for 25 minutes or until the middle reaches 70°C. It should have a slight wobble when gently shaken.
- Remove from the oven, place onto a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
Bon appétit!
