Lemon gems

Method

1. First, make the lemon filling by placing the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon thyme leaves in a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to rub the zest and thyme through the sugar until the mixture is fragrant and resembles damp sand.
2. Add the whole egg and egg yolks to the bowl and use a hand whisk to mix for a minute or so until well combined.
3. Whisk in the flour and salt before adding the lemon juice and cream, whisking again until smooth. Cover and place in the fridge to infuse for at least an hour, or overnight, while you bake the tart shells.
4. When ready to make the tarts, preheat the oven to 170°C fan-forced and place ten loose-bottomed tart (flan) tins with a base measurement of 6 cm, 2 cm deep (or equivalent sized tins) on a baking tray.
5. Prepare the tart shells by cutting your rested pastry log into 10 equal rounds. Working with one piece at a time, scrunch each round in your hand once or twice to make the pastry malleable, then roll into a ball.
6. Place on a lightly floured surface and, using a rolling pin, roll each ball out to a 10–12 cm circle. Gently ease the rolled pastry into the tins, pressing the pastry snugly into the base and up the sides of each tin. If the pastry has warmed up a lot, refrigerate the tart shells for 30 minutes before baking.
7. Use a small sharp knife to trim off any excess pastry, then place a square of baking paper or foil into each pastry shell. Fill with baking beads and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until deeply golden all over.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the tart shells to cool with the baking beads in them. (This step can be done the day before you want to serve the tarts; just store the cooled, cooked tart shells in an airtight container until ready to bake.)
9. Lower the oven temperature to 120°C.
10. While the pastry shells are cooling, take the lemon filling out of the fridge. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug that pours well, then use a piece of paper towel to skim off the foam from the surface.
11. When the tart shells are cool, remove the baking paper and baking beads. Gently pour the lemon filling into the pastry cases. I do this while the tray is in the oven as I find it easier than juggling the tart shells back to the oven filled with the runny lemon filling.
12. Bake the tarts for 15–20 minutes, or until the filling is just set, but still a little wobbly in the middle.
    The curd will continue to cook as it cools. Allow the tarts to cool to room temperature before serving, with a dollop of thick cream, if you like.

This recipe was originally published in the article A Taste of Sunshine in Issue 52 – Between Thought & Feeling.