Goes to show how much I love lemon tarts, when I have a (II) for a recipe. Just wanted to make the tart shell recipe even simpler (only 3 ingredients!), and also wanted to avoid measuring eggs, so I modified the old one. The texture of the shell is crumbly and buttery inside, and crusty outside. It’s also very easy to handle if the dough is rested.

Plus, I got a new tart pan, so all ratios had to be updated too. This recipe will yield 6 of the tarts from this pan, with some leftover curd.

Recipe (makes 6)

Shell

• 80g salted butter
• 130g plain flour
• 25g condensed milk

Curd

• 2 eggs (about 60g with shell)
• 80g lemon juice
• 80g sugar
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 60g salted butter

Method

1. Cream butter and condensed milk till light.

2. Add in flour and mix into a dough. Rest dough for 20 min.

3. Divide dough into 6 parts, about 40g each. Press by hand into tart pan. Poke holes with a fork.

4. Bake at 180 deg C for about 18 min. Remove and cool on net.

5. Now for curd. Rub whole lemon with salt and rinse clean. Scrape off the zest, then rub into sugar.

6. In a ceramic or glass bowl, add in eggs, lemon juice, sugar with zest, and stir till well mixed. Don’t use metallic bowls.

7. Place the bowl over a pot of water on the stove. Heat gently over the pot with simmering water, stir constantly with hand whisk. Near ready, the mixture will become very foamy, and thickened, in about 5 min. Be very careful not too cook the eggs, stir constantly and just take the bowl off the heat to observe if in doubt. When it thickens like a gel, it’s ready.

8. Remove from heat and cool for 5 min. Then add in butter and stir till even.

9. Spoon into tart shells and chill before serving.