Go Back
Print Recipe

Lemon Curd Tart

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 1 tart
Author: Gina @ The Passionate Pantry

Ingredients

PASTRY

  • 230 g white spelt flour or plain flour
  • 130 g butter cubed, cold from the fridge
  • 20 g golden caster sugar or plain caster sugar
  • 1 tsp sea salt flakes or ½ tsp fine sea salt

  • 1 x 60g egg
  • 3 tsp cold water
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

FILLING

  • 3 lemons zest and juice (keep juice – see below)
  • 160 g golden caster sugar or plain caster sugar

  • 120 g lemon juice
  • 2 x 60g eggs
  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 level tsp gelatin powder
  • 1 ½ tbls room temperature water

  • 150 g butter cubed, cold from the fridge

Instructions

METHOD - CRUST

  • Add flour, butter, sugar and salt into and mix 6 seconds / speed 6
  • Add egg, water and ACV and knead 25 to 30 seconds until the dough starts to clump together
  • Remove dough onto a very lightly floured bench or silicon mat, and with floured hands lightly press the pastry together into an oblong shape (you will roll it out as an oblong shape so it helps to prepare this shape before resting in the fridge)
  • Wrap in Gladwrap and refrigerate 30 minutes
  • Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface until it is slightly larger than the base of the tart tin (base measurement 35cm x 13cm ... place tart tin on top of rolled out pastry to check size)
  • The pastry should be firm enough for you to be able to place one hand under one end of the pastry, and lift the other end of the pastry with your second hand
  • Place pastry into tart tin
  • Lift the edges of the pastry and gently place the pastry into the base and corners of the tin, using your fingers to lightly press the pastry into the tin’s fluted edges leaving a slight overhang
  • Trim the top of the pastry by pressing your fingers onto the overhang which will give you a nice even trim
  • Place tin onto a baking tray, dock with a fork, and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced, and place rack into middle of oven
  • Fill pie shell with baking paper filled with baking beads or rice, making sure you go right to the top of the pastry edge (this helps to support the sides so that the pastry doesn’t “drop”
  • Bake pie shell 20 minutes
  • Remove from oven, and remove baking paper and beads
  • Return pastry to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the base looks “cooked” and is a golden colour (it takes an extra 15 minutes in my oven)
  • Remove from oven and cool completely before making filling

METHOD - FILLING

  • Place small bowl on top of TM lid and measure in cubed butter, put aside in the fridge until needed
  • Add lemon zest and sugar to TM bowl and mill 10 seconds / speed 10
  • Scrape around bowl, add the lemon juice, whole eggs and egg yolks and cook 8 minutes / 85 / speed 3 (for a TM31 cook for 6 minutes at 80 degrees, then 2 minutes at 90 degrees)
  • Whilst this is happening, place the water for the gelatin into a small container and sprinkle over the gelatin powder, put aside until needed in next step
  • Once filling has cooked for 8 minutes, scrape around bowl, add the softened gelatin and mix 20 seconds / reverse / speed 3
  • Add cold butter and blend 20 seconds / reverse / speed 3, scrape around bowl and repeat 10 seconds / reverse / speed 3
  • Pour filling immediately into tart case, level with the back of a spoon, and allow to cool to room temperature (this should only take an hour or so) before placing into the fridge to set properly
  • If planning to leave it overnight in the fridge, then place tart into a sealed container in the fridge where it will keep well for up to three days

Notes

For this recipe I have used the basic lemon curd recipe, but scaled it down so the filling fits perfectly into an elongated tart tin (base measurement 35cm x 13cm).
The pastry case can be baked ahead of time, and will keep in a sealed container for up to five days before filling ... it can also be used for other fillings if you like (i.e. consider adding a base of freshly made peanut paste, topped with caramel or chopped honeycomb, and finished with chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of sea salt flakes - this is just a "thought bubble" but they are the flavours that come to mind).
You will need three lemons to get the right amount of juice for the curd, so I have used the zest of all the lemons … usually you get approximately 50 to 60g juice per lemon, as long as it is not “dry” … leftover lemon juice will keep in the fridge for a few days and is great drizzled over baked veggies, or used for dressings, etc.
Adding cold butter to the curd at the end of the cooking time helps to cool the curd down so that it sets quicker.
I should also mention that if you are using a TM31 there is no "85" degree tab on your machine, so I have made a notation in the method for your process.
I prefer to make this tart completely a day ahead and allow it to rest in the fridge overnight. I also like to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so that the chill is slightly taken off it.