These tangy little tarts are just the right size for an afternoon pick-me-up with tea or coffee. They are also lovely to serve with a special meal. The mix of citrus oils really brings a refreshing citrusy scent and flavour! I’ve included a tart-base recipe, but to save time you can also use mini store-bought tart-bases or frozen pastry and bake them. The tarts are wonderful with puff pastry bases too!
NOTE: If using gluten-free flour the tart-bases will not be quite as light, but they will still be wonderful with the filling! The citrus curd recipe makes approx. 1½ cups in total and you may have a little left after making the tarts which are great served on toast, on a piece of slice/cake or on ice cream.
Chef Kate TIP: You can also use a drop or two of any of these oils in the citrus curd: lime oil, jade lemon oil, tangerine oil and orange oil for a bright burst of citrus flavours. Remember start with a little and add more, if desired.
Ingredients
- For the Tart Dough
- • 1 cup flour or gluten-free flour mix
- • 1 /3 cup almond meal (optional) or 1/3 cup more of flour or Gluten-free flour mix
- • 115gm cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- • 1/3 cup sugar (preferably organic)
- • pinch of salt
- • 1 large egg
- For the Citrus Curd
- • 1/3 cup lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)
- • 2 large eggs
- • 1 egg yolk
- • ½ cup sugar (preferably organic)
- • 2 tbsp chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- • 1 tbsp heavy cream
- • ½ tsp vanilla essence
- • a pinch of sea salt
- • 2 drops of Citrus Fresh essential oil
- • 4 drops of Lemon essential oil
- • 2 drops Lime essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- Method for the Dough
- 1. Place the flour in a medium to large bowl and cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingers, working the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- 2. Then stir in the sugar and salt, add the egg and stir with a fork until just combined. Then using your hands work the mixture into a dough. It may seem a little dry at first, but as you mix it, it will start to come together.
- 3. Roll the dough out to approx. 3.17 ml thick, on a floured surface or a flat surface covered with a sheet of baking paper and sprinkled with flour (so the dough does not stick and is easy to move).
- 4. Using a biscuit/cookie cutter (or score the dough with a round jar) cut the dough into approx. 7.6cm rounds (size will depend on the size of the mini muffin tins you use so you may need to adjust after testing one).
- 5. Then gently press the dough into the non-stick muffin tins (or use a little coconut oil spray to coat them) making sure to press down evenly leaving no gaps and bring the dough up over the sides a little to form the tart base. Form the left-over dough scraps into tart-bases too. Then place the muffin tin(s) in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking to prevent the bases from shrinking.
- 6. Bake for approx. 15 – 20 minutes or until golden, then remove from oven and set aside to cool. If they are browning to quickly cover loosely with baking paper and continue baking until fully baked.
- For the Lemon Curd
- 1. In a medium stainless pan heat lemon juice over medium heat until just hot, but do not boil.
- 2. While the lemon juice is heating, whisk the eggs and yolk together in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in the sugar. Continue whisking and slowly pour the hot lemon juice into the eggs.
- 3. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture registers 76° C and coats the back of a spoon.
- (You can also just check after 2 – 3 minutes to see if it coats the back of the spoon, if it does then it is ready if not continue cooking while stirring and test again, you want the mixture to be thick-ish and as it cools in the tart bases it will thicken up more).
- 4. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and when melted stir in the cream, vanilla essence and salt. In case the curd separates or is not quite thick enough return the pan to the heat and cook the curd a bit longer, stirring constantly until it comes together and thickens. Once the curd has cooled for a few minutes stir in the essential culinary oils.
- 5. You can make the curd up to a week ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container and just cover the top of the curd with a piece of baking paper to keep it from drying out.
- Assembling the Tarts
- When ready to assemble the tarts spoon the citrus curd into each baked tart-base, smooth a little and top each tart with a raspberry or small slice of lime or orange, or alternate between them all for a colourful presentation.
- Serve immediately or chill in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days.
Want more ideas to up your culinary skills? Check out our Vegetarian Poke Bowl with Kale and Honey Lemon Sauce!
Let us know your favourite Chef Kate recipe?
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