Let it be said that I have a recipe for a baked citrus tart inspired by Marco Pierre White’s that results in a tart so beautiful with mirror like finish that I have to pause a bit before slicing it. That citrus tart however, takes forever to make. You have to make the lemon filling at least the day before and let it rest in the fridge for the flavours to infuse overnight. You also have to make the pastry the day before, so it is definitely a labour of love, and I only ever cook this tart when I’m overly depressed and I have to churn something in my mind for a long time.

Lemon tart slice — A slice of sunshine is what I think of…

But my daughter asked me for the recipe the other day, so I sent a copy to her, complete with side notes to ensure a perfect tart. She messaged me back to say it was too complicated and too time consuming for a young mum to make, and couldn’t I make a simpler version?

So here we are with an easy lemon tart recipe. I don’t mind slaving away in the kitchen for a good cause. But more importantly, I also want others to want to try baking, and you would not be encouraging anyone who is a budding baker if the process is too long and complicated. While this is a simpler version it is no less scrumptious. It is silky and creamy and fully loaded with fresh citrus flavour.

What you need to make Citrus Tart..

Lemon Bling — Dried Citrus Slices makes a great garnish. These were sun/air dried for 6 hours.

Sweet Short Crust Pastry – For a budding baker, or if I want a shortcut, I use frozen premade short crust pastry. The quality now available is excellent, so I always have a sheet in my freezer. My favourite brand is Careme which is an Australian brand, but you can use any sweet pastry brand of your choice.
Lemons or any other Citrus of your choice – I use whatever citrus I have on hand; lemon lime or the Filipino lime called Calamansi, or a combination.
Pantry/Fridge Staples – Egg Yolks, Condensed Milk,Evaporated Milk
Tart Tin with removable bottom – 23cm round tart tin or 35×10.5cm rectangular tart tin

To cut a long story short..

Blind bake — Blind Bake set -up with rice.

Place tart tin in front of you and unroll sheet of pastry over the top. Press the pastry into the bottom and sides of the tart tin. Carefully trim away the excess pastry then place the pastry lined tin in the freezer for 15 minutes. Reserve pastry trimmings just in case you need to do a patch up, if your pastry develop cracks during baking.
Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill it to the top with rice or baking beads.
Place on a baking sheet and bake in preheated 180°C oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the tart case out of the oven and remove the baking beads and baking paper. Set aside tart case to cool.
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, condensed and full cream milk , finely grated lemon zest and lemon juice(or whatever citrus you are using). Skim off any froth if any.
Place the tart case in a baking tray. Pour half of the egg condensed milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the tart case.
Lower oven temperature to 160°C. Place the baking tray into the preheated oven and pour the rest of the custard mix to fill the tart case. Close the oven door and bake for 30 minutes or until done.
If you are wondering why you put half and half of filling, it is to stop it from spilling all over the place. When the pastry case is half full, you’re less likely to spill the filling. Just in case, the baking tray underneath is also there to catch the drips. Super neat! I wish I could say I thought of it first.
The centre should remain wobbly but firm to touch.
Cool at least an hour before slicing into portions and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Garnish with dried lemon slices as in the photo, or berries such as raspberries.