Citrus tart

I'm quite partial to citrus tart but am a very amateur pastry maker. Last year, a friend and I learned how to make a pear and almond tart at a patisserie course for Wellington on a Plate. This year, we have already signed up for Scrumptious Treats at Bordeaux Bakery and are on a waiting list for Hands On Pastry Making at Floriditas. The art of pastry shall evade us no more!

The Chelsea Sugar website has lots of simple baking recipes available including this one for citrus tart. It is super easy to mix in a food processor. I'd imagine a cake mixer would do a similar job for the filling but the pastry base might not be quite so fine. I might try using a mixer next time at my peril. Also, I found that my flan tin didn't seem to need lining with paper, so I'll so what happens without baking paper.

Citrus tart

Ingredients
Base

• 125 g butter, softened
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Filling

• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• grated rind of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons custard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• icing sugar to dust

Method

1. Base: Place the butter, flour and icing sugar in a food processor and run the machine until the pastry clumps together in a ball around the blade. With floured hands, press this mixture into the base and up the sides of a lined 21 cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The pastry will set quite firm but bakes best from cold.)
2. Preheat the oven to 180º C.
3. Place all the filling ingredients in the cleaned food processor and run the machine until well combined. Pour into the chilled base. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling set. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Citrus tart