Recipe: A berry tasty tart
Lemon and Basil Tart
150g cream flour
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp sugar
115 g unsalted butter
50ml ice water
- In a food processor pulse flour, salt, and sugar to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining.
- Add ice water; pulse until dough just starts to come together.
- Lift the dough out and shape into a flat round, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Butter and flour the base and sides of a fluted loose bottomed 9 in tart base.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to an 11-inch round, about the thickness of a Euro coin.
- Carefully lift the dough into the tart base and press into the sides, fold over edge, then trim with a scissors allowing a small overhang.
- Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 175 C Line pie-crust with parchment and fill with weights or dried beans, bake for 25 minutes, then remove parchment and weights and continue to bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
- Once cooked brush with egg yolk and bake again for 5 minutes – this helps seal the pastry and keep it crisp. Let cool.
360ml cream
360ml milk
Peel from 1 lemon (without pith) Use a speed peeler to take off strips
Small bunch basil leaves.
8 large egg yolks
85g sugar
3 tsp cornflour
pinch salt
- Once the pastry is chilling prepare the lemon, basil custard.
- Bring milk, cream, lemon and basil just to a boil in a medium pot.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let sit at least two hours (or overnight in the refrigerator).
- When ready to finish the tart, return milk mixture to a simmer, strain to remove lemon and basil sprigs.
- Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, then whisk in cornstarch and salt until mixture and cook gently in a clean pots pale and thick, about two minutes.
- Pour into the pre baked tart crust, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes until just set (jiggle in the centre.)
- Allow to cool completely then chill .
- Meanwhile prepare a bowl of mixed berries then dust with a little icing sugar, when ready to serve pile the berries on top.
To contact Mercy email info@wickeddesserts.ie
