Tarte au citron

Method

1. 1

   Rub in butter

   Rub the flour and cold butter together until they resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the icing sugar.

2. 2

   Bring together

   Mix in the egg yolk and cold water, then gently bring together into a dough. Add no more water unless it will not hold. Flatten, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Line the tin

   Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thick and line a 23 cm tart tin.

4. 4

   Chill the case

   Trim the edge and prick the base with a fork. Chill for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Prepare to blind bake

   Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice.

6. 6

   Bake the case

   At 180°C conventional or 160°C fan, bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the base is dry and lightly golden.

7. 7

   Mix the filling

   Whisk the eggs and caster sugar gently until combined, without making lots of foam. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and cream.

8. 8

   Strain the filling

   Strain through a sieve, then leave it to settle for 5 minutes. Skim off any surface bubbles.

9. 9

   Bake the tart

   Reduce the oven to 140°C conventional or 120°C fan. Pour the filling into the warm pastry case and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still has a slight wobble.

10. 10

    Cool the tart

    Turn the oven off and leave the tart inside with the door open for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, then chill for at least 1 hour before slicing.

11. 11

    Finish and serve

    Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired.

Tips

• Keep the butter cold and handle the dough gently to help keep the pastry tender.
• Roll the pastry evenly so the base and sides bake at the same rate.
• Pour the filling into the pastry case while it is warm, and avoid overbaking: the centre should still have a slight wobble.
• Let the filling settle and skim off bubbles for a smoother surface.

Swaps

• Use single cream in place of double cream for a slightly lighter filling.
• Use caster sugar in place of icing sugar in the pastry, blitzing it briefly if you want a finer texture.

Storing

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; serve chilled or let it stand briefly at room temperature before slicing.