LITTLE LEMON TARTS
 
 
Ingredients
  • For the tart pastry:
  • 180g unsalted butter (6 oz)
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups flour (300g, 10 oz)
  • For the lemon filling:
  • ¼ cup plain flour (35g, 1¼ oz)
  • 1 cup sugar (220g, ½ pound)
  • ½ cup lemon juice (125ml, 4 oz, about 3 lemons)
  • zest from 1 lemon, grated
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • pinch of salt
Method
  1. To make the tart pastry, preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and get out two mini muffin pans.
  2. Place the butter, water, oil, sugar and salt in an overproof bowl.
  3. Put the bowl in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the butter is melted, bubbling, and just beginning to brown around the edges.
  4. Carefully remove the bowl from the oven and dump in the flour. Stir quickly, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the side of the dish.
  5. Put a teaspoon of dough into one mini muffin hole, and press it into the base and up the sides using your fingers. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
  6. Prick the dough with a fork once or twice.
  7. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown all over.
  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
  9. To make the tart filling, reduce the oven to 150 C (300 F).
  10. Combine the flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix to dissolve the sugar.
  11. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and the egg yolk with salt.
  12. Add the eggs into the lemon and sugar mixture and whisk until well combined.
  13. Put the mini muffin tins back in the oven, pull the oven rack out of the oven slightly and pour the filling into each pastry case while it is still in the oven.
  14. Shut the oven door and bake for 5 – 10 minutes, until the centers are just set.
  15. Makes 36 mini lemon tarts. Recipe can be halved.
  16. Happy baking!
Recipe by Butter Baking at https://www.butterbaking.com/2013/06/20/little-lemon-tarts/