Tart dough recipe

(Makes three tarts, 25cm in diameter)

300g cold diced butter

200g icing sugar
50g ground almonds
500g flour
pinch of salt
125g eggs

1 additional egg

Blitz the almonds and icing sugar in a food processor.

Sieve all the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Using the paddle attachment, combine on low speed with the cold butter until
the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then add to the flour and butter mixture.
Work for about 30 seconds until just combined. Avoid working the dough.
Divide into three equal balls, pushing the dough together to form a rough disc
shape. Wrap in cling film and chill for a minimum of 1 hour, until it is firm and
well rested.

Lightly sprinkle the bench with flour, and roll the pastry out to an even circle,
about the thickness of a pound coin. There will be some excess dough, which
can be trimmed after cooling. Roll the pastry back onto the rolling pin, and
onto the tart tin. Coerce the pastry into the tin, pressing gently into the edges.
Leave the pastry overhang. Chill for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 150 °C, no fan. Trim the excess pastry to about 1cm
hanging over the edge, keep the excess pastry for later. Use aluminium foil to
line the tart case for blind baking. I use caster sugar as a weight for blind
baking, then reuse the lightly toasted sugar in the fillings, but you can use
baking beans or whatever you prefer. Bake the tart shell for 1 hour at 150 °C.

Take the foil and sugar out.

Use a microplane to shave the edges of the tart shell until it is flush with the
tart ring and even all around.
Using a stick blender, blend 100g of pastry trim and 1 egg to form a liquid
pastry. Brush it all over the tart case, filling any cracks and smoothing out the
edges.

Bake for another 10 minutes.

 Rhubarb and ginger custard tart

Ginger custard tart filling

450g cream
70g toasted sugar (from blind baking)
40g ginger
135g egg yolks

Heat the cream and sugar almost to the boil.

Peel and grate the ginger, then add to the hot cream.
Allow to infuse for 15 minutes or to taste.
Preheat the oven to 115 °C, no fan.
Put the prepared tart case into the oven. Strain the custard mixture into the
tart case and bake for 20-30 minutes or until just set with a slight wobble in
the middle. Allow to cool completely before finishing with rhubarb.

Rhubarb
600g rhubarb
60g sugar
2 star anise, crushed slightly

Trim the rhubarb leaves and stems, keeping any offcuts, then toss in a baking
tray with the sugar and star anise.
Allow to disgorge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150 °C.
Cover the rhubarb with foil, then bake for 10-15 minutes until tender.
Allow to cool completely.

Rhubarb jelly

50g rhubarb offcuts

25g caster sugar
25g glucose
200g water
4 bronze gelatine leaves, bloomed

Bring the sugars, water and rhubarb to the boil and cook for 10 minutes to
release some flavour and colour from the rhubarb.
Add bloomed gelatine leaves to the mixture, bring back to the boil for a
second then strain and allow to cool.

Assembly
Slice the cooked rhubarb into thin, even slices. Arrange carefully in concentric
circles, or the pattern of your choosing, then brush with jelly and allow to set.
 Chocolate orange tart

Chocolate tart filling

320g dark chocolate

2 eggs
230g double cream
130g milk

Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

Melt the chocolate over a bain marie.
Meanwhile, heat the cream and milk almost to the boil. Pour it over the eggs,
whisking.
Work the hot cream mixture into the eggs.
Place the prepared tart shell into the oven, pour in the chocolate mixture, and
turn off the oven. Leave it to cook in the oven’s residual heat for 20-25
minutes or until it is just set, with a slight wobble in the centre.
Allow to cool completely before decorating with orange.

Blood orange jelly

50g blood orange juice
25g caster sugar
25g glucose
200g water
4 gelatine leaves, bloomed

Bring the water and sugars to the boil, then add the bloomed gelatine. Bring
back to the boil for a second. Take off the heat, add the blood orange juice,
sieve and allow to cool.

Assembly
Prepared chocolate tart
Blood orange jelly
6 blood oranges

Cut the skin from the blood oranges, cut in half, then slice thinly with a sharp
knife. Arrange in circles, or the pattern you like, brush with jelly, and allow to
set before slicing.
 Lemon meringue pie

Meyer lemon tart filling

Zest and juice of 6 meyer lemons (180ml juice)
5 whole eggs
140g sugar
140g cream

Preheat the oven to 115 °C.

Mix the ingredients together in a medium size bowl.
Over a bain marie, cook the filling while stirring constantly with a spatula until
it reaches 60 °C.
Strain out the zest.
Place the prepared tart case in the oven, then pour in the filling.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just set, with a slight wobble in the centre.
Allow to cool completely before decorating with the meringue.

Swiss meringue

220g egg whites

330g sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cream of tartar

Mix the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, then heat over a bain marie,
stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 79 °C.
Using a whisk attachment, whisk on high speed until the meringue becomes
thick and glossy, and starts to ball up in the whisk. Use the meringue
immediately. Place meringue into a piping bag with a fluted nozzle. I used a
French star piping tip. Pipe the meringue onto the lemon tart, then blowtorch
the meringue. The meringue can stay stable at room temperature for a few
hours, but it is best to enjoy it immediately.