Tarte au Citron

I love lemon desserts, they're just so fresh and clean tasting and are the perfect end to a meal.

Tarte au citron, or lemon tart is just so moreish and yummy! I could honestly eat this all day, every day! Plus it's part of your 5 a day so it's not all bad, well, that's what I tell myself!!

This is a Mary Berry recipe and with the Great British Bake Off being aired at the moment, there is no better time than to get your bake on!

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 225g plain flour
• 150g cold butter, cut into cubes
• 25g icing sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp. water

For the filling:

• 9 large eggs
• 300ml double cream
• 350g caster sugar
• finely grated zest and juice of 6 large lemons

You will need a 28cm loose bottomed tart tin.


To make the pastry, measure the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor. Whizz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs and then add the egg and water. Whizz again until it forms a ball.

Roll out the pastry thinly onto a floured work surface until it is just a little bigger than the size of the tin. Line the tart tin with the pastry, letting the extra pastry hang over the sides of the tin. Place on a baking sheet and then chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Line the tin with non stick paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven until pale golden brown.

Take out of the oven and remove the baking beans and paper. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a sharp knife. Return the empty pasty shell to the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until it is completely dry. Set aside to cool.

Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas mark 3.

Measure all of the filling ingredients into a bowl and mix until smooth. Carefully pour into the pastry case.

Carefully transfer the tart case and tray into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until just set but still with a slight wobble in the middle. The filling will sink down a bit once cooled.

Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate then dust with icing sugar to serve.

All bakes and ready to trim the edges