Italian Lemon Tart

Are You looking for a quick but delicious lemon tart that comes out of the oven ready for you to serve? If so, this easy Italian dessert might be it. The water-based lemon curd is not too tangy - which makes it suitable for children too - and contains less eggs and sugar then the original French Tarte au citron (which, by the way, is one of my favorite recipe in the World. I'll post that soon!). The crust is light and crunchy and does not need blind baking. Moreover, it's made with oil, so it is dairy-free and particularly forgiving too. If that is your first time making a tart, this recipe is definitely worth giving a try!

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Ingredients

Crust

• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 lemon (the zest of)

• 80 g Canola oil

• 80 g confectioner sugar (can be reduced to 60 g)

• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

• 250 of flour (+ 20 g for dusting)

Lemon curd

• 2 lemons

• 70 g sugar

• 30 g Maïzena

• 250 g water

• 1 egg

• 30 g butter

Method

1. We’ll begin by preparing the tart shell. Pour eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and sugar in a bowl and mix with the help of a fork, then add in oil and mix until combined;*

2. Fold in flour along with baking powder and keep on mixing until a dough starts forming. Do not add in all the flour in one batch as you might not need it all;

3. Roll out pastry dough on a thoroughly floured surface until it’s around 6 to 7 mm (one quarter of an inch) thick, fit it into a 23 cm (9 inch) pie tin lined with parchment paper and put it in the fridge while you prepare your filling. You may freeze your leftover pastry or use it right away to make cookies. If making cookies, bake them at 180 C for around 8-10 minutes;**

4. Now it's time to prepare the lemon curd. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, Maïzena and lemon zest, then slowly add in water and mix until all ingredients are combined. Add in butter, then move to the cooktop and start heating this mixture over a low heat while continuously stirring until it thickens;

5. Remove from heat and wait for it to cool down a little (this will require a couple of minutes). Add in egg and the juice of 1 and a 1/2 lemon (save the remaining half to decorate the tart if you wish to). Whisk quickly until all ingredients are combined. Try to be quick so your egg does not turn into an omelette!

6. Pour lemon curd directly into the uncooked tart shell and bake at 170 C in the lowest part of your oven for about 35 to 38 minutes or until the crust is golden. When the tart is cool enough for you to handle, carefully remove it from the mold then store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.

* If you go for an electric mixer, you may use the K beater. Just make sure you do not over mix, it really takes less 30 seconds to get this done;

** Cooking time varies according to the size and thickness of your cookies: you will know they are ready when the bottom turns slightly brown.