Lemon or Lime Tart

Ingredients

• 1.200 gram plain flour, for pastry
• 2.90 gram icing sugar, for pastry
• 3.90 gram unsalted butter, diced; for pastry
• 4.1 egg, for pastry
• 5.1 tablespoon water, cold; optional; for pastry
• 6.75 gram castor sugar, for filling
• 7.4 eggs, for filling
• 8.300 millilitre cream, for filling
• 9.lemons or limes, juice of 2–3; limes preferred but lemons work
• 10.icing sugar, for dredging to serve

Method

1. 1.PASTRY: Put the flour and icing sugar in a food processor and combine for a few seconds. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg. Process, stopping as soon as the dough forms. Add cold water until it does if needed. Remove, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour; the pastry can be left overnight.
2. 2.Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board and line a high-sided flan tin approximately 26cm across. Press the pastry gently into the tin and use a rolling pin to trim excess from the perimeter. Prick all over, including the sides, with a fork. Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes (overnight is fine).
3. 3.Cook in the oven at 200°C for 10–15 minutes until it is golden brown. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C.
4. 4.FILLING: Beat the eggs and castor sugar together until pale. Pour in the cream and, finally, the juice. Pour immediately into the prepared pastry base and bake until it is just set, about 25–30 minutes.
5. 5.Dredge with icing sugar and serve with whipped or thick cream.

Notes

• Recipe from 'Plates' cookbook, 'Sweet Plates' chapter, with handwritten annotations.
• Handwritten note: 'Double up' (referring to the filling — double when making a larger tart).
• Handwritten note: 'Drop lemon Base' — possibly a note to substitute a different pastry, or to omit this base. Meaning is unclear.
• Card note: 'There are many versions of this delectably zingy tart. Limes are lovely, but if you can't get them, use lemons.'
• Gram weights are inconsistent with cup measures: 3 tablespoons butter ≈ 42g, not 90g; ⅔ cup castor sugar ≈ 130g, not 75g. Gram values used as primary.

Margin notes

• Double up (handwritten on filling ingredients)
• Drop lemon Base (handwritten annotation — meaning unclear)