52 The Times Magazinearts can be scary to
make, with all the
different elements, the
baking of the pastry
and worrying about not
getting a soggy base. And
that’s before you start
fretting about whether
the filling will curdle or fail to set.
But don’t panic. Even if you
have never made a tart before,
this recipe is incredibly easy.
True, there is a base that needs
baking, but the creamy lemon
and vanilla filling is so simple to
make, it may just become your
go-to where tarts are concerned.
To balance the creaminess
of the filling, I’ve added a quick
coulis to serve alongside the tart.
It’s fresh, rich and vibrant.
This needs at least a few hours
in the fridge but is even better
made a day in advance, to allow
the cream to set so you get
a clean, even cut. In my house,
once the tart is in the fridge, I am
surprised it ever gets a chance
to set, especially with the number
of times the fridge door is opened
to jiggle the tart to make sure it
is not wobbling. That is a sure-
fire way of knowing if it is ready:
it should have lost its wobble.VANILLA LEMON TART
Serves 8For the vanilla tart shell- 175g plain flour, plus
extra for dusting - 75g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- Half a vanilla pod, seeds only
- A pinch of salt
- 1 medium egg, beaten
For the filling
DAN KENNEDY• 500ml double cream
Eating in
Nadiya Hussain
This creamy lemon
and vanilla tart is so
easy, it may become
your go-to dessert
- 150g caster sugar
- Half a vanilla pod, seeds only
- 3 lemons, zest and
juice, separated
For the coulis- 150g raspberries
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
1 Start by making the pastry.
Have a round, 4cm-deep, fluted,
loose-bottomed 20cm tart tin tohand. Put the flour, butter, icing
sugar, vanilla and salt in a food
processor and whizz till the
mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
As the mixture is still moving,
drop in the beaten egg and keep
whizzing till the mixture begins
to clump together – and as soon
as it does, turn it off.
2 Dust the work surface and tip
out the dough. Bring the dough
together by gently pushing ittogether. Now flatten the dough
to about ½cm thin. Use your
tin as a guide to make sure you
have rolled it out large enough
to cover the base and sides with
some overhang.
3 Line the inside and the sides
of the tin with the pastry, making
sure to get into the fluted edge.
Now, using a palette knife or
small knife, trim off the excess.
Prick the base of the pastry with
holes all over and pop into the
fridge for 30 minutes, or freezer
for 15 if you are short on time.
4 Preheat the oven to 180C/
Gas 4. Take the tart shell out
of the fridge/freezer and line the
inside with some scrunched-up
baking paper that comes up the
side. Fill with baking beans or
uncooked rice or lentils. Bake
for 15 minutes. Take out, remove
the beans/rice/lentils by lifting
the paper and pop the tart shell
back in the oven for another
10 minutes.
5 Once the tart shell is crisp and
golden, take it out of the oven.
Leave to cool in the tart tin.
6 Get started on the filling. Add
the cream and sugar to a small
pan, along with the vanilla pod
and zest. Stir and pop onto a
medium heat. Keep stirring
and mixing until the sugar has
dissolved and, just as it comes
up to the boil, take it off the heat
and leave for 10 minutes. Add
the lemon juice and stir through
until the mixture has thickened.
Pour the mixture into the tart
shell and carefully place in the
fridge to set. It should be left
in the fridge for a minimum of
4 hours, or ideally overnight.
7 When you are ready to slice
into wedges, make the coulis by
adding the raspberries and icing
sugar to a blender and mixing to
a smooth sauce. Serve the wedges
with a drizzle of the coulis. n‘The only tricky part of this delicious tart is
having the patience to allow it to set properly’
T
You can find all of Nadiya
Hussain’s recipes for The Times
at thetimes.co.uk