Tangy lemon tartlets with a burnt sugar crust

Beyonce is here in Brazil and everyone is talking about it – I must confess I’m not a fan, powerful voice and all. Even though I don’t like her songs, I found the music in “Ego” pretty interesting, but she had to go and ruin it with silly lyrics.

She should learn from Donna Hay: you get something great, like a lemon tart, and make it even better, by adding a crackly caramel crust. :)

Tangy lemon tartlets with a burnt sugar crust
from Donna Hay magazine

2 cups + 2 tablespoons (300g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup + ½ tablespoon (157g) unsalted butter, cold and chopped
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons iced water

Filling:
½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
3 eggs
¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
2 tablespoons caster sugar, extra

Place the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water a little at a time and process until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick. Butter a 20cm (8in) round fluted tart pan and line it with the pastry. Trim, prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes – in the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
Line the pastry with baking paper, fill with baking weights or dried beans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights/beans and the paper and bake for a further 8-10 minutes or until golden.
Reduce the oven to 140°C/285°F. Place the cream, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the tart shell and bake for 30 minutes or until just set. Allow to cool completely. Sprinkle the extra sugar over the lemon filling and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar topping.

Serves 8 – I halved the recipe above, used 6x11cm rectangular tart pans and got 5 tartlets