Lemon tartlets

A couple of nights on a row having diner with friends prompted a new baking endeavour: lemon tart. Many years ago I remember Brown's Bakery publishing their lemon tart recipe ... I hoped to find it online, but alas, no go.

I ended up just buying shortcrust pastry (rather than making from scratch, but still spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen. I adapted this recipe. Baking is not really a van kitchen thing, and this was done at home, not in my little kitchen, but this blog is the best place to record what I did for future reference. 

Recipe made 22 tartlets.

Ingredients

• Eggs x5 plus yoke (reserve white for sealing the bottom of the tarts
• Super fine sugar (I blended caster sugar) 280g
• Lemon juice 200ml
• Crème fraîche 200g
• (icing sugar for serving)
• Short crust pastry x3 sheets
• (also used patty pans in the muffin tray and another set for blind baking)

Method

• Beat the 5+ eggs lightly
• Stir in the sugar and let it sit until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring occasionally - about 30-40 mins.
• Use a little of the egg mixture to break up the crème fraîche into a runny smooth liquid.
• Add the lemon juice to the egg mixture and then stir in the crème fraîche a little at a time.

• Meanwhile, blind bake the pastry. I used chickpeas and had in a 150° for 30 mins  
• Remove from the oven, and brush the bottom of the tart with the reserved egg white and put back in the oven for 5 mins.
• Remove and allow to cool completely.
• Strain the lemon mixture into a jug and pour into the tartlets, return to the oven a bake for 20mins at 150°.