The Most Delicious Lemon Tart

You can make this one ahead and freeze it if you want!  Read through as there are a few 'waiting bits' along the way.  The pastry is a bit of a phaff, but really worthwhile!  As you can see the pastry is fragile, but so delicious! I topped this one with 'frosted berries'.

Pastry

25g ground almonds

grated rind of half lemon

150g plain flour

65g caster sugar

75g butter, diced

1 egg

few drops almond essence

Put lemon rind, flour, sugar and butter in food processor until like crumbs.  Add ground almonds and process for 2-3 seconds more only.

Whisk the egg and put 2 tsp in a small cup for later.

Add almond essence to rest of egg with 1 tbsp cold water and then pulse into flour mix.
Turn out and knead lightly into a ball.  Wrap and put in fridge for at least 2 hours.

Roll out pastry and line a 20cm round loose bottomed tart tin (or 10 x 33 cm rectangle tin) 

If you have breaks/cracks, just patch them together with your fingers.

Refrigerate again for 30 mins.

Line pastry with baking paper and baking beans and bake blind at 180C  for 20 mins.

Remove paper and beans and return to oven for 5 mins more.

Turn oven down to 120C and brush inside of pastry case with the egg you kept.  This seals any cracks to keep the filling in.  Then return to oven for another 5 mins.

Filling

25g butter

3 large lemons

5 eggs

150g caster

Melt the butter

Grate rind from all the lemons and squeeze.  You need about 175ml juice in total.

Whisk eggs in a bowl and add melted butter, lemon rind, juice and sugar. Whisk all to combine.

Pour into the filling and bake in oven at 120C (fan) for 30-40 mins until just set.  Keep a check on it and don't overcook it!

Allow to stand for 15 mins before removing it onto a cooling rack.  (I usually leave mine on the loose tin base - nobody can see it!)

Cool and freeze if you want/can resist it!

To make the frosted berries/grapes - whisk an egg white, dip berries in egg white and then in caster sugar and leave to harden