Lemon Tart – Thermomix

Some time ago I made a strawberry and lemon tart in my food processor.  Crisp and buttery pastry, tangy smooth filling, it was the kind of dessert that both G & I love.  Unfortunately it didn’t score too highly on the G scale (nor with me really) and the remainder was given away to friends and family which is unheard of when a good dessert hits the table in our house.

At the time I wrote a comment stating “would I make it again: Yes, but there are conditions.  Normally with a score like this I wouldn’t bother making it again.  However, since baking this I have purchased my Thermomix (Hermie for short) and knowing what it can do I am sure I can get a very smooth consistency for the filling by using it to whiz everything up.  It is so much easier than making lemon curd filling!”

So here is the recipe that I came up with for the TM.  I was fortunate enough to have my Mum visiting when I made this tart and we spent many hours in the kitchen together making a myriad of tasty treats.  She was amazed at what “Hermie” can do!

lemon tart (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought – with help from Mum)
makes two 35cm (14 inch) x 10cm (4 inch) tart (use a tin with a removable base)

Ingredients
pastry
70g (2½ ozs) raw sugar
250g (½ pound) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
150g (4¼ozs/1¼ sticks) butter, diced and chilled
1 egg
30g (1½ tablespoons) cold water
filling
1 or 2 large juicy lemons (total 230g fruit)
250g (1¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
30g (2 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
3 eggs
120g (½ cup) very soft or melted butter, cooled
to finish
250g (½ pound) strawberries
icing (confectioners) sugar for dusting

Preparation
Pastry:  Place sugar into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9.  Add flour and butter, mix for 10 seconds on speed 6.  The mix should resemble fine breadcrumbs.  Add egg and water.  Set dial to closed lid position.  Knead for 20 – 30 seconds on interval speed to form a dough.  Turn mixture onto plastic wrap, form a disc and chill until firm (about 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).  Roll pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line the tart tin.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

Bake the tart blind for 20 minutes, then remove the baking weights and paper.  Reduce the heat to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3) and bake for a further 5 minutes.  Cool.

Filling:  Cut the lemon into quarters, remove the obvious pips.  Add these, along with all other ingredients to TM bowl.  Mix on speed 5 for 20 – 30 seconds until mixture is combined and very smooth.

Pour into the tart case and bake for 25 minutes until the filling is just firm and the top is lightly browned.  Cool.

To serve:  Dust with icing sugar to serve.

My tips/alterations: *If the pastry sticks to the blade, simply use Turbo for 2-3 seconds to remove it.  *Blind baking is when you line a pre-prepared case with baking paper and fill it with weights or dried beans.  The beans support the pastry as it cooks.  *If you are short on time when making the pastry you can place it in the freezer which will halve your time.  *I used Meyer lemons, which have a thin skin and are slightly sweet when ripe.  I using Eureka (thick skin with a thick layer of white pith) you may want to peel the rind away to use in your recipe, then remove and discard the pith as this can be quite bitter.  I tried to make the filling using raw sugar but due to the higher caramel content it didn’t set well and became really chewy.  The caster sugar produced a lovely textured tart.  *Blend the filling until it is smooth as it makes the end result so much better.

ease: 8/10. This was even easier than using the food processer.
prep time: 10mins plus chilling and cooling.
cooking time: 50mins plus cooling
total: 1 hour plus chilling and cooling

taste: 8.5/10. From the man of the house, a whole 2 points more than the original version with none of this one being allowed to leave the house.  G couldn’t believe it was even the same recipe.  8.5/10  From me too.  An extra point from me.  This reminds me of a tarte au citron with its delicate tangy flavour and crunchy pastry.

would I make it again: Yes.  I think I need to try it again, just to make sure that my scoring is correct. 🙂