26 Jan Lemon Curd and Quick and Easy Lemon Tarts

• 2 cups caster sugar
• 4 lemons zested and juiced (yielding approximately 160ml juice), at room temperature
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 100g butter, softened

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. While continuing to beat the mixture, gradually add the lemon zest and juice.

2. Transfer to a saucepan, and gently whisk the mixture over a low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take about 20 minutes.

3. Transfer immediately into two sterilised jars. Store in the fridge.

Once you’ve made your Lemon Curd, you can make these quick and easy Lemon Tarts

• 160ml lemon curd, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 170°C and lightly grease a muffin pan with a vegetable oil spray.

Take your sheet of puff pastry and use a round cookie cutter to cut 9 rounds of pastry. Cover the base of 9 of the muffin tin cups with a pastry round. Cover with baking paper and weights or rice, and blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whiz together the lemon curd and cream cheese in a blender until well combined. Spoon about a tablespoon of the lemon curd mixture into each pastry shell. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the tart filling to firm before serving.

Makes 9.

These recipes found at My Family Table