Lemon and Almond Tart

. September, 2015
Photography by Claire Aldous.
Lemon and Almond Tart

I’ve combined two of my favourite recipes to make this silky smooth tart; a crisp, nutty biscuit base and a tangy lemon filling – delicious!

INGREDIENTS

Biscuit base
100 grams butter at room temperature
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 grams ground almonds
1 cup plain flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Lemon topping
3 x #7 eggs (large)
½ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup caster sugar
125 grams butter, melted
finely grated zest of 3 large lemons
½ cup lemon juice
300 ml cream
To serve
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
icing sugar for dusting

METHOD

Fully line a 24 cm loose-based cake tin with foil, bringing it right up the sides and smoothing it out as much as possible. Take care not to pierce the foil  otherwise the filling will leak out.

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.

Base: Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until very light and pale. Combine all the remaining ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Beat until it comes together.

Tip into the tin and use your fingers to press it evenly over the base.  

Bake for about 20 minutes or until a good golden colour. Cool before adding the topping.

Topping: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl then gradually whisk in the flour and salt until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients in the following order, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next: caster sugar, butter, lemon juice, cream and then the zest. Don’t over beat or too much air will be added. 

Pour over the biscuit base and bake for about 30 minutes or until set but still with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool completely in the tin. The filling may crack on cooling.  

To serve: Gently peel the foil off the side of the cake and transfer to a serving plate.

Scatter over the almonds and dust with icing sugar. Serves 8-10.

When cutting the tart, run a sharp knife under the hot tap then shake off excess water. Do this for each slice to give a smooth clean cut.