A zing fling

Dish up a dessert designed for spring – a luscious lemon tart served with fresh berries

20 mins plus 2 / hours chilling Cooking time 1 hour Serves 6

1 cup plain flour

/ cup icing sugar, plus extra, to dust

3 tsp ground ginger

/… cup almond meal

125g cold unsalted bu‰er, finely chopped 1 free-range egg yolk Mascarpone, whole and sliced strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, and micro herbs, to serve

FILLING

4 free-range eggs

/… cup caster sugar

1 cup thickened cream

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest / cup lemon juice

STEP 1 In a large bowl, si flour, icing sugar and ginger. Stir in almond meal. Rub in buer, using fingertips, until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add yolk and enough chilled water to make a firm, but pliable, dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

STEP 2 Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Lightly grease a 23cm wide (2.5cm deep) round loose-base flan tin. Put on an oven tray.

STEP 3 Roll pastry out between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Ease into prepared tin, trimming edges. Chill for 15 minutes. Line with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake case for 10-15 minutes. Remove paper and beans or rice. Bake for another 10 minutes, then remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven to 150°C fan-forced (170°C conventional).

STEP 4 For filling, lightly whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl (don’t over-whisk, as you don’t want big bubbles). Stir in cream, lemon zest and juice (mixture may thicken and look a bit curdled). Pour into cooled pastry case. Bake for 35 minutes, until just set. Cool at room temperature. Chill for at least 2 hours.

STEP 5 Top with mascarpone, berries and herbs, and dust with extra icing sugar.

This moreish tart has a ginger flavour but you can leave it out and whisk 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste with the egg for a more classic tasty pastry.