Lemon Tartlets

If you're looking for the perfect spring dessert, you've found it! Lemon Tarts or Tarte au Citron if you're feeling fancy is one of the best palate cleansing desserts you can find..... the combination of the tart lemon custard, with the sweet pastry & berries is so refreshing.. 

A friend picked up these little tartlet cases for me a couple of weeks ago & I LOVE them! I always think that individual desserts look a little more elegant... 

For the tart shell, I used the same recipe as in my Chocolate Tart. It's a really simple, quick pastry that is sweet & crisp.... perfect for desserts :) 

Start by making the tart shell & allowing to cool while you make the filling. The recipe above will make 6 individual tartlets or one 9" tart. 

You're going to feel pretty good about yourself after you make the custard for these....It's a workout in itself!! Mind you, I'm wondering now why I used a hand whisk when I have an electric whisk!! 

For the lemon filling:

• 5 tbsp raw organic honey
• 75g butter
• 2 large eggs + 3 egg yolks (use the whites to make some Tea Cakes)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (probably about 3 or 4 lemons depending on the lemons)
• pinch of salt

Add all the ingredients to a heatproof glass bowl set over gently simmering water (don't be tempted to turn up the heat or you'll end up with lemon scrambled eggs).. 

Whisk constantly (I mean constantly... or again we'll have lemon scrambled eggs!)..Make sure to keep the custard moving all the time so you don't end up with a gritty lemon coating on the base of the bowl. This requires patience... It's going to take up to 10 minutes so no distractions... lock the kids in the basement & turn off your phone... FOCUS!!! 

It'll go from thin & liquid, to pale and frothy and then will gradually thicken. Just keep whisking...you'll get there eventually!

Once you have a thick, smooth custard, pour into your cooled tart shells. 

Decorate with fresh berries. 

Allow to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours before removing from the tin & serving. 

Berry Crumble Cake...

I know what you're thinking... she's so unbelievably selfless spending all this time baking to help us get through Christmas with some healthy treats... you're right! I am! But... thankfully since you'd never tell the difference between these recipes and their sugar-laden alternatives, I'm never short of people I can off-load food on!

The kettle is always being boiled over the festive period... people dropping in unannounced and it's nice to be able to offer them something home baked with their tea. The problem arises when you offer them Christmas cake or Mince Pies, but you don't eat one! They're going to think you're trying to poison them...

Oh wait... sugar actually is poison, so since you're a nice person and you'd like your friends & family to live long and healthy lives, make this sugar & grain free Berry Crumble Cake... :)

For the cake:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp raw organic honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• zest of 1 large orange
• 45g coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 85g almond flour

For the crumble:

• 50g almond flour
• 40g flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp Keen almond butter

75g frozen berries

Preheat oven to 160d (fan). Line a 9 inch round tin with greaseproof paper. 

To make the crumble topping:

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and rub together with your fingers to combine. 

Set aside until needed.

To make the cake

Start by separating the eggs. To the egg whites, add 1 tbsp of honey. 

In the other bowl, whisk yolks, 1 tbsp honey, baking soda, zest, oil & vanilla until well mixed.

Whisk egg whites until they form stiff glossy peaks. 

Next add in 1/3 of the egg whites. Once you have fully incorporated the egg whites, you can add 1/3 of the almond flour. Repeat until everything has been added. Remember to fold in the egg whites & almond flour slowly to avoid knocking out all the air. 

To assemble:

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. 

Top with frozen berries (press them gently into the cake mixture). I used blackberries & raspberries. 

Finally sprinkle the crumble topping on the cake. Don't worry that not all the fruit is covered... this makes it look really nice when the cake is baked. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check on the cake after 20 minutes, if it seems like it's browning too much then place a sheet of tin foil over the cake and continue to bake until a skewer comes out clean. 

When baked, allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes & then either serve warm, or remove from the tin & leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

This is a really nice cake. It's light and fruity but the crumble topping makes it extra special... Obviously there are a lot of nuts in this cake, so like all the cake/cookie recipes I post here, they're for treats only... I'd far prefer to treat myself to a piece of cake that contains no grains, sugar or dairy rather than a heavy slice of traditional fruit cake...

€