Glazed Lemon Tart

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

175 grams Unsalted butter, diced

25 grams Icing sugar, sieved, plus extra for dusting

50 grams Toasted almonds, finely ground

225 grams Plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

1 pch Salt

7 Eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

Juice and finely grated rind of 3 lemons, (unwaxed if possible)

300 grams Caster sugar

300 ml Double cream

Creme fraiche, to serve

Preparation

Place the butter in a food processor with the icing sugar, salt, one of the eggs and a dessertspoon of lemon rind and blend for 20 seconds. Add the almonds and flour and blend until the dough just comes together. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Beat the six eggs and the caster sugar until well blended. Stir in the cream and then the rest of the lemon rind and all of the juice. Pour into a jug - it makes 1 litre/1 3/4 pints, cover with clingfilm and chill for up to two days or until needed.

Preheat the oven to 180F/350C/Gas 5. Take the pastry out of the fridge, roll out on a floured work surface and use to line a 24 x 3cm/9 1/2 x 1 1/2in loose-bottomed flan tin or alternatively coarsely grate the pastry and press into the flan tin, pressing up the sides and into the shape of the tin. Keep or discard any excess pastry.

Lightly prick the base with a fork in several places. Line the pastry with a circle of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake-blind for another 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and take out the beans and paper. Beat the egg yolk and use to brush the base, then bake for another 8 minutes until lightly golden.

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C/Gas 2. Pour the lemon filling into the pastry crust and bake for 35-45 minutes until just set with no wobble in the middle. Allow to cool, then carefully lift out of the flan tin. Score the tart into portions and using a tea strainer as a sieve, dust with icing sugar. Glaze with a blow torch or under a hot grill. Serve with some creme fraiche.