This is a classic French lemon tart, made using the “custard” rather than the “curd” method and as I like lemon and lavender combos I’ve added lavender – if its too floral for you don’t bother. This method relies on a “custard” mixture being baked in the oven in a pre baked pastry shell (a kind of sweet quiche idea) and is very easy.  A “curd” version involves making a lemon curd which range in richness from a slightly lean classic English lemon meringue Pie recipe adding water and cornflour to a full on “Italian Crostata al Limone” egg yolks and egg affair which I tend to use as my default.

Ingredients  for a 20cm tart

• 6 eggs
• 300ml double cream (smantana dulce 30%)
• 230g sugar
• 4 lemons with the zest finely grated and juiced
• 1 Blind baked pastry case using all butter pastry

a few lavender flowers (approx 1 teaspoon) if using

Gadgets & Gizmos

A loose bottomed tin is what you need here.  I know I’m not really pedantic about equipment and love to improvise but tarts really benefit from proper tins.

How To

Whisk the eggs and sugar to ensure the sugar dissolves – you don’t really need a sloppy mousse here as its not the aim but the sugar does need to dissolve.

Add the zest, eggs and lemon juice to the egg and sugar mix.

Fill the pre-baked pastry case with the mix and carefully (it has a tendency to slop so sometimes I place the case on the oven shelf and using a jug I pour the mix in…depends how accident prone you are! or how wobbly your oven shelves are)

Now bake at 180C for 20-25 minutes.  Its a bit like a baked cheesecake idea..you want it done but a little wobbly in the middle so that when you take it out of the oven, the cooking process continues and it will be just perfect.

After you take it out it will deflate a little, but only a little.  Dust with icing sugar to disguise any wrinkles and it will look and taste divine!