You little tart

Everyone has their signature dish, their masterpiece, their pièce de résistance. Everyone has an auntie that brings that wombok noodle salad to the BBQ and claims it as her own marvellous invention. We all know that the recipe is on the back of the Chang's fried noodle packet but she insists that if she fails to bring it there'll be a veritable riot clambering for her 'secret' recipe. 

I certainly can not claim this old classic as my own and while I am not saying that this is my signature dish, it has certainly been my 'go to' little number for years. The dish I bring to a pot luck, the fail-safe dessert I serve when I've someone I want to impress. I cooked it the night I first cooked for my boyfriend, the fact that we never got to eat it just goes to show how effective it was. It's so good because it's so familiar,  nothing to challenge, nothing to upset. Perfection in it's simplicity.

Although I am lazy I do make my own pastry because otherwise what would I possibly do with my rather excessive collection of rolling pins? That was a rhetorical question, I am more than capable of using my imagination.

This recipe comes straight from Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion, the only modification I make is to use spelt flour rather than wheat for a nice nut-brown pastry that's a little gentler on the tummy. Like Stephanie I prefer a savoury pastry for this sweet tart, where we differ is in her insistence that the pastry must be made by hand. As far as I am concerned life is far too short not to use a food processor.

Shortcrust pastry

180g butter, cubed, at room temperature

240g white spelt flour

1/4 cup cold water

Whiz butter and flour in a food processor until it resembles bread crumbs.

Add enough water to just bring it together, try not to over process.

Form into a rough disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate at least 30mins.

Stephanie's Lemon Tart

1 quantity of shortcrust pastry

6 eggs

250g (1cup) caster sugar

zest & juice of 3 large lemons

200ml cream

icing sugar & thick cream to serve

 Line a greased and floured 24cm loose-bottomed deep flan tin with pastry. If you have time you can pop the tart case in the freezer to rest, I like to leave it in there overnight to minimise shrinkage.

Preheat oven to 200°C and bake blind for 20 mins or until pastry is golden brown and firm. Reset oven to 160°C.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and sugar, add zest and juice and then cream.

Pour mixture into just-baked pastry case and bake for 35-45 mins until just set, still almost wobbly in the centre.

Cool in tin for at least 30mins, dust with icing sugar and serve in wedges with thick cream.