“Lemon Curd Soufflé Tartlets

 

These are lovely served barely warm dusted lightly with icing sugar.

 

Start to finish : about 1 1/4 hours makes : 12

 

 

Pastry

13/4 cups (260 g/91/4 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

1/2 teaspoon salt flakes

2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

100 g (31/2 oz) cold butter, diced

1 large free-range egg yolk

2 tablespoons iced water

 

Lemon curd

4 large free-range eggs

1 cup (220 g/73/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml/21/2 fl oz) lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

125 g (41/2 oz) cold butter, diced

pinch of salt

 

Meringue

4 large free-range egg whites

pinch of salt

1/4 cup (55 g/2 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

 

 

Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse process until the mixture is a coarse knobby meal. Add the yolk and water and process until the mixture forms a clump. Tip the dough out onto the bench and pat into a disc shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (fan-forced 160°C/315°F).

 

Roll the dough out and line 12 tartlet moulds about 6 cm (21/2 in) in diameter and prick the bottom with a fork. Put the pastry cases in the freezer for 5 minutes, and then bake for 15–20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and almost cooked through. Cool.

 

To make the curd, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Place the bowl over a large pan of gently simmering water. Whisk in the diced butter adding a few pieces at a time with the salt. Keep whisking for about 8 minutes or until the curd has become thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the bowl from the pan of water and whisk briskly to take as much heat from the mixture as quickly as you can. Set the curd aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Press plastic wrap lightly on to the surface and refrigerate until required.

 

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) (fan-forced 180°C/350°F). Whisk the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and when they start to foam sprinkle in the sugar. Continue whisking until firm but not dry peaks form. Put a teaspoonful of curd in the bottom of each pastry shell. Gently fold half of the egg whites into the remaining lemon curd and then fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the mixture on top of the lemon curd in the pastry shells. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the filling is puffed, golden and set.

 

and a bit more :

To get ahead, the curd and the pastry shells can be made in advance leaving just the meringue to be made at the last minute. Once they cool they start to sink a little.”