Baking for Nightshift- Brulee Lemon tart

After being 'Brulee'd'

Just cooked 

The one small individual one I made

I have made this tart a number of times over the years. I originally got the recipe from a Gourmet Travellor magazine (I think it was from a 2002 issue). It's a fantastic recipe which is easy to make and has a lovely custardy, light texture. The original recipe does not call for the top to be brulee'd but I thought I would give a go with this one to see if it made it taste better or if it added something else to the already delicious tart. The recipe for the base is also a good one but this base is one I have had in the freezer for a little while when I made my last batch of Dorie Greenspan 'good for anything sweet pastry' (at least I'm sure that is the name of it). I had lined this rectangle tin as well as one individual tin with the leftover dough I had. 


Tonight is the last night for one of our nurses called Stephanie. She has been in NZ for ages now but homesickness has finally got the better of her so she and her family have decided to move back to England. She's a lovely person and a fantastic nurse so we will all miss her a lot. Another thing she is, is a fantastic baker so I'm hoping this will meet with her approval. When someone leaves our unit we all bring food and have a feast to say goodbye on their last shift. As I am onto my third night duty in a row I needed to make something that wasn't too labour intensive but delivered a nice flavour hit so I thought this tart might do it. As I had already made the pastry, all I had to do was blind bake it and make the filling, then get out my brulee torch and work some magic. I find that using icing sugar gives the best crunch on top. It melts fast so you are less likely to burn the tart or cook the eggs in the filling more than is necessary. Anyway the proof will be in the pudding when we eat it later I suppose. If you don't have a torch, don't worry as this tart is amazing just as it is especially with some raspberries on the side and some softly whipped cream.


Lemon tart


Pastry


170g plain flour
80g icing sugar
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp ground almonds
pinch salt
100g chilled and chopped butter
1 egg, separated 


Combine flour, salt and almonds in a food processor and blitz to mix. Add butter and egg yolk and about a tablespoon of chilled water. Process until just coming together. Shape into a disc, cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge for about an hour to rest. Line a 23cm tart tin with a removable bottom and freeze 30 mins. 


Bake blind for about 15 mins in a 200 C oven. Remove the beans and brush the lightly beaten egg white over the base and put back into the oven for another 5 mins.


Filling


6 eggs
220g caster sugar
200ml cream
grated zest and juice of about 3 lemons (depends on the size though)


Combine eggs and sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in zest and juice followed by the cream.


Pour into the warm tart case and bake about 30-40 mins until just set in a 150C oven.