Simple Lemon Tart
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 1 hour waiting
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Sour Cream Pastry
- 240g/8.8ozs. butter, cold
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 125ml/4flozs./1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons water (if it needs it)
Filling
- 3 eggs
- 175g/6ozs. caster or superfine sugar
- 125g/4ozs. double cream
- 125g/4ozs. mascarpone
- 125ml/4flozs./1/2 cup lemon juice (around 2-3 lemons' worth)
Step 1 - Make pastry by adding butter, flour and sugar to a large food processor. Process until combined. Then add sour cream and water and blitz until it resembles crumbs. Knead it on a clean, floured surface and shape into a large ball. Cover with cling film and rest for 1-2 hours.
Step 2 - Roll out the pastry between two sheets of parchment. Lay out onto a loose bottomed 23cm tart tin. Dock the bottom with a fork and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Step 3 - While it is freezing make the filling by whipping together the eggs, sugar, cream and mascarpone with a beater until smooth. Add lemon juice and allow to sit for 1 hour. Skim the bubbles from the top.
Step 4 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Take the tart crust from the freezer. Line with foil and weigh down with baking weights (or rice or beans) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes until cooked. You want this baked on the base.
Step 5 - Reduce heat to 120C/248F. Pour the filling into the par baked crust and bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set.