Mini Lemon Tarts with Shortbread Crust
Recipe credit: Lively Table
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 x 170g packets Mac's Butter Shortbread Fingers
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Lemon Curd Filling
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 3 large eggs + 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
Method
The crust
- Crush the shortbread fingers, either in a food processor, or put in a zip lock bag in batches and crush with a rolling pin.
- Add the sugar and melted butter to the crushed shortbread and stir to combine.
- Refrigerate for approx 30 mins. This will make it easier to press into the pans.
- Press the dough into greased mini tart pans.
- Bake the crusts for 10 – 15 minutes in a 150Cº preheated oven until golden.
Lemon curd
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs very well. They should be fully combined and fluffy.
- Combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium flame until the sugar is dissolved, then turn off the heat.
- Temper the eggs by pouring about 1/2 cup of the warmed lemon mixture into the bowl of eggs, whisking as you pour.
- Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the lemon juice, whisking the entire time to prevent curdling.
- Turn the heat back on low and cook, stirring the entire time, until the mixture has thickened - about 5 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter.
- If you want you lemon curd super smooth, you can strain in by pushing it through a fine mesh strainer, or just leave it as is. Let the lemon curd cool before spreading into the tart crusts.
Assemble the mini tarts
- Once tart crusts are completely cooled, gently pop them out of the pans.
- Spoon lemon curd evenly onto the crusts and spread with the back of the spoon.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Top mini tarts with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries, or eat them as is!
