Lemon tart.

It has become a bit of a tradition over the past few years that I have to make a lemon tart on Christmas day as not one, apart from me likes Christmas pudding. The thing is I always associate lemon tart with the summer and weddings, that and profiteroles. Not because I have been to a lot of weddings but I always seem to remember making lemon tarts and profiteroles but the hundreds every Friday for the weddings on Saturday  at every hotel I have every worked at . Any way this is a good recipe that you do not have to worry about separating eggs for the fill and the pastry is made in a food processor so even that is easy to make.

you will need,

225g/8oz plain flour

150g/5oz butter
25g/1oz icing sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp water
9 eggs
300ml/½ pint double cream
350g/12oz caster sugar
The zest and juice of 6 large lemons 

So start by making your pastry in the food processor, add the flour, butter and icing sugar into a food processor. Then plus it so it goes in to a fine breadcrumbs. Then add the egg and water and blend it till it forms a ball. Now roll it out and lines a  loose bottomed tart tin. Any extra pastry just let that hang over the side you can trim that of once it is cooked.  Now get the tart tin in the fridge and let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. You need to blind back this in a hot oven for about 15 to 20 minutes then remove the baking beans and just let in finish backing for about another 8 or 10 so it is golden brown.

Now you need to open the oven door let the heat out and reset your oven to 180c/350f ready to bake the tart. Take the zest of the lemon and heat that in the double cream. Then in a large bowl add your eggs sugar and lemon juice and whisk this all together. When the cream is hot, not boiling, add it to the eggs and sugar. Now it is up you if you pass it through a sieve, all depends if you like the zest in the custard or not. Carfully whisk the cream and the eggs together but not to vigorously you do not want a lot of air in the mix.

Now if you can do this on the shelf in the oven and then gently put the tart in the oven, or get as close to the oven as you can before you put the tart in the oven, and with a jug fill the tart case with the egg custard mix.

It will take about 40 to 50 minutes to bake, you just want it to wobble but do not pock it with your finger or you will ruin the top. If you bake it very slow and low it will not all rise up and crack so nice and gentle with the baking.

Remove from the oven when cooked let it cool completely then trim of the excess pastry and then remove from the tin.

Now all you need is some good weather, fresh raspberries and just be thankful that you do not need to make 2000 profiteroles for the wedding on Saturday any more, Well that is what I would do.