Lemon tart with lime zest recipe

Details

• Cuisine: French
• Recipe Type: Dessert
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 55 mins
• Cooking Time: 75 mins
• Serves: 6

Step-by-step

1. Put the lemon juice and 180g/6.25 oz/heaped 3/4 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until reduced. Remove the heat, add the lime zest and set aside.
2. Beat the eggs and the remaining sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or a whisk, for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is fluffy, pale yellow and starting to form ribbon-like shapes when you lift the beaters and it falls back into the bowl.
3. Add the lemon mixture and cream and whisk to combine. Cover with cling film and leave to infuse for 1 hour in a cool place but not the fridge.
4. Meanwhile, grease a 24cm/9.5in loose-bottomed tart tin with butter. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 3-5mm/ 1/8-1/4in thick, then roll the pastry over the rolling pin and place the pastry over the tart tin.
5. With one hand lift the pastry edge and with the other gently tuck the pastry into the bottom and sides of the tin so that it fits tightly. Don't overstretch it or it'll break, and press down gently to push out any bubbles.
6. Trim off any excess pastry by rolling the pin over the to of the tin. Prick the base all over with a fork and chill for 25-30 minutes. This will prevent it from shrinking during cooking.
7. Towards the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3.
8. Line the pastry case with a piece of baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven, remove the beans and baking parchment and turn the oven down to 100°C/200°F/gas 1/ 2.
9. Strain the lemon mixture into a medium saucepan and warm it through over a low hear, as gently as possible, stirring continuously. This gives the filling a head start in the oven - a cold filling would have top bake for much longer.
10. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake for 40-45 minutes until set. It should tremble slightly when the pastry case is gently shaken before removing from the oven.
11. Leave to cool completely before cutting to serve.