Classic lemon tart

Name: Classic lemon tart
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 10-12 serves
Ingredients: 150 g plain flour; 40 g icing sugar; ¼ tsp salt; 90 g unsalted butter, cubed; 1 egg yolk (keep egg white for filling); Filling; 4 eggs, plus egg white from pastry; 180 ml lemon juice (approx. 3-4 lemons); 1 tbsp grated lemon rind; 160 g caster sugar; 125 ml thickened cream; 1 tsp vanilla essence

By Fransje Garland-Frost

Master the classic lemon tart and you’ll have a showstopping dessert for your next dinner party or family event.

The NEFF CircoTherm® Intensive function results in a perfectly crisp and golden pastry, while lashings of fresh lemon juice and grated lemon zest in the custard filling ensure a zesty end result. Serve the chilled lemon tart with cream and fresh berries at your next sophisticated soiree.

How to achieve a textbook lemon tart:

Perfect shortcrust pastry requires cold butter. So it’s best to weigh and cube the butter first, then pop back in the fridge to firm up before using.

Rolling out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper will prevent it sticking to your bench or rolling pin.

Dried beans or rice are an economic alternative to baking weights. And don’t forget, they’re reusable!

Straining the lemon custard filling ensures a luscious silky texture with no pulp or pips.

Serve our classic lemon tart with a dusting of snow-white icing sugar for the ultimate festive dessert.

Function: Circo Therm®, Circo Therm® Intensive

Classic lemon tart

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Prep: 20 minutes

Cooking: 35 minutes

difficulty: mid

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

150 g plain flour
40 g icing sugar
¼ tsp salt
90 g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk (keep egg white for filling)

Filling
4 eggs, plus egg white from pastry
180 ml lemon juice (approx. 3-4 lemons)
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
160 g caster sugar
125 ml thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

To begin your classic lemon tart, sift the flour, sugar and salt together into a bowl. Rub butter into the flour to resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and mix with a spatula to bring the ingredients together. Knead the dough gently on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Lightly grease a 24cm removable base flan tin. Roll the pastry out between two sheets of baking paper. Carefully line the tin with the pastry, press it gently into the sides and trim the edge. Return pastry to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven on CircoTherm® Intensive at 160°C. Gently prick the pastry base with a fork. Cover the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking weights. Place the pastry on the universal tray, put the tray in the oven on shelf level 1 and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking weights and paper and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove pastry shell from the oven and select CircoTherm® at 130°C.

To make the filling, whisk together the eggs, egg white, lemon juice, rind, sugar, cream and vanilla.

Whisk gently so no air bubbles form in the mixture. Slowly pour the filling through a strainer into the pastry shell. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool for 20 minutes on the bench. Place in the refrigerator until cold.

Serve the lemon tart with a dusting of icing sugar, cream and fresh berries.

For other popular lemon recipes and tips view our:

With features you won’t find anywhere else, NEFF appliances are designed to give food enthusiasts a more rewarding cooking experience. CircoTherm® lets you cook, roast and bake on all levels simultaneously, without mixing flavours. It’s an entertainer’s dream.

Notes

This recipe uses CircoTherm Intensive® and CircoTherm®. We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. All eggs are 55–60 g, unless specified.

Dried beans or rice can be used as baking weights and they are reusable.

Authors Bio

As a trained Home Economist and Chef, Fransje knows that good cooking comes from confidence in the kitchen. With 27 years of industry experience, Fransje can help you decode the appliance manual and share some delicious dishes.

Classic lemon tart

How to achieve a textbook lemon tart:

Classic lemon tart

Ingredients

Method

For other popular lemon recipes and tips view our:

Notes

Authors Bio

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