These mini lemon tarts are finished off with a brûlée topping to make them extra special. They'd make a perfect end to an alfresco summer meal!
Preparation Notes: plus chilling
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Yields:
6
Prep Time:
40 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Cal/Serv:
500
Ingredients
For the pastry
150g
plain flour, plus extra to dust
A pinch of salt
75g
unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
50g
icing sugar
2
large egg yolks
For the filling
1
large egg, plus 4 large yolks
150g
golden caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
Grated zest of 3 medium-sized lemons and 200ml (7fl oz) of freshly squeezed juice
142ml
carton of double cream
Directions
Step 1
For the pastry, tip flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add icing sugar and pulse again, then add egg yolks and pulse until it starts to come together. Turn out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead gently to bring together. Shape into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30min.
Step 2
Divide the pastry into six pieces, then roll out each piece on a lightly floured worksurface and line six 10x2cm (4x¾in) loose-based fluted tart tins. Press pastry well into the edges and trim off any excess. Prick each base all over with a fork. Put on a baking sheet and chill for 30min. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan oven) mark 5.
Step 3
Line each pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15min. Remove paper and beans and continue to bake for 5-10min until pastry is dry to the touch. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C (150°C fan oven) mark 3.
Step 4
Meanwhile, make the lemon filling: put the whole egg, yolks and sugar in a large jug and stir together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Carefully stir in the zest, lemon juice and cream and mix together. Leave to stand for 5min.
Step 5
Leave the tarts on the baking sheet and pour the filling into each case. Carefully put the baking sheet back in the oven. Bake the tarts for 30min until just set. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 10min, then remove each tart from its tin and put on a wire rack. Leave to cool for 15min.
Step 6
Sprinkle 1tbsp caster sugar evenly over each tart and use a cook’s blowtorch to brûlée the top. Alternatively, preheat the grill to its highest setting, cover the pastry edges with foil and grill the tarts for 2–3min, turning occasionally to glaze evenly. Serve immediately.
We have a wealth of other tart recipes for you to try:
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
