For the Sweet shortcrust pastry you need
(1 cup = 250ml)
1 ½ cups plain cake flour
125g butter, refrigerated and cut into cubes
½ cup icing sugar
2 egg yolks
About 30ml cold water
1ml salt
For the Lemon Filling you need
1 cup pouring cream
2 eggs
3 extra egg yolks
125ml castor sugar
½ cup lemon juice
To prepare
Set the oven at 180° C
Lightly grease a 22cm diameter loose bottomed tart / quiche pan. I use a rectangular 10 x 28cm pan or a 18cm square pan.
For the pastry
- Place the flour, salt and icing sugar in the bowl of the food processor and pulse it to mix.
- Add the cubed butter and mix for a few seconds until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Mix the egg yolks with the cold water and slowly drizzle the liquid into the processor while it is running, just until a firm ‘ball’ of dough forms. Do not over process as this will toughen the pastry.
- Place the dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate until you need it. Preferably for 30 minutes or more. It will keep in this state for at least 2-3 days, so make it in advance if you like.
- Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm and to the shape required for your choice of pan. Carefully lift it, using the rolling pin to support it, to cover the pan. Lift and shape it into the corners, without stretching the dough. (If you stretch it, it will shrink back when baking, leaving a very shallow area for filling). Trim the edges.
- Make sure that there are no holes or tears in the pastry.
- Place baking paper over the pastry, fill the area with baking beans. If you do not have commercial baking beans use dried beans or rice. This prevents the pastry from rising, allowing space for the filling.
- Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes, remove the baking paper and the baking beans, and bake for further 10 minutes to crisp the pastry.
- Remove the pastry from the oven and add the filling.
For the filling
Mix all the ingredients and strain it into a jug. Straining removes any tough bits of egg white and any stay lemon pips!
Once the pastry is ready pour the filling into the baked pastry shells. I half fill the cases, return them to the oven and then top them up, avoiding spillage.
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes in a fan assisted oven otherwise 30 minutes, until the filling is just set.
Serve at room temperature.
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