Julie’s Lemon Tart
This is my friend Julie’s recipe. Her family love it and as I watched Alex tuck into his second slice, it’s fair to say he loves it too. I’ll show my hand as well; it’s a winner!
Incredibly quick to do, with only 6 ingredients, it’s a marvel. Where has this recipe been all my life?
The filling; well, it’s somewhere in the region of a chiffon pie, a light airy unbaked cheesecake, a lemon sharp cream syllabub; delightful. The lemon cuts through the richness so successfully that it is easy to have a smaller second slice. Hooray, for that.
Reduce the biscuits to crumbs by putting them in a bag and bashing them with a rolling pin or in a food processor, then combine it with the melted butter and optional sugar.
Press into a loose-bottomed tart tin
and bake for 8 mins.
Leave the base to cool.
Put the cream, lemon zest and condensed milk into a medium bowl and mix with a whisk or electric whisk. It will still be liquid.
Slowly add the lemon juice as you continue to whisk
and marvel as it thickens to a spoonable consistency.
Spoon it into the biscuit base and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
It’ll keep for a couple of days in the fridge, so as make-ahead desserts go it’s an invaluable recipe. It doubles easily to feed more than a modest gathering.
Go on. Have a slice.
Julie’s Lemon Tart
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I’ll give you both quantities.
For a 7″/18cm plate/flan dish:
100g digestive biscuits (or use whatever biscuits/cookies you fancy – ginger would be nice)
50g butter, melted
1 tblsp sugar
150ml double cream
175g condensed milk
2 large lemons – zest and juice
For a 24cm loose-based flan/tart tin:
200g digestive biscuits
100g butter, melted
1 tblsp sugar
300ml double cream
400g condensed milk
3-4 large lemons – zest and juice
Heat oven to GM2/150C/300F
Reduce the digestive biscuits to crumbs either in a food processor, or by putting them into a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
Stir them into the melted butter and press into the tin.
Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and leave to cool.
In a bowl, put the lemon zest, condensed milk and cream. Stir or whisk to combine.
Slowly trickle in the lemon juice, whisking as you go (I use an electric hand whisk – Julie used her food processor) and watch as it thickens the mixture.
Taste as you add the lemon juice, but bear in mind that it really can take a lot of lemon.
Spoon into the cooled biscuit base and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight.
Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
cooking
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bicuit base, condensed milk, cookie crumb base, digestive biscuits, double cream, lemon zest juice, make ahead dessert, quick dessert
I’m wishing I could find condensed milk here! That looks exquisite.
No condensed milk?! I should start a petition if I were you
I’ve just made this for a small dinner party tomorrow night. I’ve had a little taste out of the bowl and it was very yummy…the real test will be tomorrow though
I am applauding you for only having a ‘little taste’. My little tastes can end up snowballing to really quite significant tastes
Hope it goes down well at your dinner party – have fun!
Hmmm…well I resisted the ‘little taste’ until I’d actually poured it onto the base and it was in the fridge…so I couldn’t do too much damage to it!
Well I can report it went down well with everyone.
I used ginger biscuits for the base which gave it a lovely taste…and I’ve just had a second slice now the guests have gone lol
Thanks for clarifying the precautions you took whilst having your little taste. Honesty is the best part of something or other.
LOL @ the second slice now that the guests have gone. I can so identify with that!!
Yay! Glad everyone liked it
Silly question but sweetened or unsweetened condensed milk ? I’m in France and they have both, I guess unsweeted because I’ve never seen the other sort in the UK
Thanks
It’s sweetened
Funnily enough, I’ve never seen unsweetened. Hope you enjoy the tart!
Hopped over from The Cake Slice:
Just wondering if I can substitute double cream milk with soy milk?
This looks wonderful!
Hi Emily
Our double cream is like your heavy/whipping cream, so it whips up. I don’t know whether soy milk comes as a cream? Enquiring minds etc LOL