While most people prefer to go desi during festivals, like Diwali, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to shake things up a bit and indulge in some Western desserts too. Lemons are known to be versatile ingredients that can be added to almost everything - from savouries to sweets and drinks. One such classic lemon sweet meat is the lemon tart.
Any tart has two important components. One is the crust of the tart, which is supposed to be both soft and crunchy. The second is the filling. In the case of a lemon tart, curd is whipped with lemon juice to lend it a tangy flavour and this is generally stuffed into the tart. A light and breezy sweet dish, this tart is ideal for brunches. However, Chef Manoj Sharma - Executive Chef, RCB Bar and Café, Bengaluru - has come up with an excellent Tanqueray Lemon Tart.
The addition of dry gin to the lemon curd is what makes it a sweet and sour treat. Here’s a recipe of the boozy lemon tart that you can try at home.
For short pastry crust:
Ingredients:
- 100 gm unsalted butter
- 50 gm icing sugar
- 1 egg
- 150 gm all-purpose flour
- A pinch of salt
- 15 ml cold water
Method:
- Sieve plain flour into a large bowl, add diced butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir in a pinch of salt, then add 15 ml water and mix to create a firm dough.
- Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface.
- Wrap in cling film and place in a chiller while preparing the filling.
- Once chilled, roll the dough, place it in the mould and bake it at 160°C for 9 minutes.
For filling:
Ingredients:
- 60 gm egg yolks
- 60 gm castor sugar
- 40 ml lemon juice
- 60 gm unsalted butter
- 15 ml Tanqueray
Method:
- Mix egg yolks and castor sugar together over a double boiler to make sabayon.
- Cool it for 25 minutes.
- Mix the sabayon, unsalted melted butter, lemon juice and Tanqueray.
- Fill the tart with the filling and garnish it with edible flowers and a thin lemon slice.