Lemon and Cardamon Tarts

These tarts first featured in one of my Indian inspired cookery classes back in 2018. You can make these tarts with or without the cardamom. The recipe is for four small tarts, but the quantities can be used to make a single, larger tart. Just adjust the baking time to give it a little longer in the oven to set

Ingredients

100g plain flour

50g cold butter

1 small egg

1 tablespoon icing sugar

80g caster sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

50ml single cream

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

6 cardamom pods – husks removed and seeds ground finely

Method

__Start by making the pastry

Put the flour and diced butter in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until the two ingredients come together into a breadcrumb like consistency. Add the egg and icing sugar and mix well into a dough. If the mix is too wet, add more flour. If too dry, add a little water

Roll out the dough and cut into four discs, each the size that will line a 10cm tartlet tin. Line with parchment and place a handful of baking beans on top. Heat the oven to 180C and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and baking beans

__Now for the filling

80g caster sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
50ml single cream
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
6 cardamom pods – husks removed and seeds ground finely

Whisk the sugar, egg and egg yolk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Turn the oven down to 160C then divide the filling equally between the four tarts. Gently transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until just set. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for until completely cool