Lemon Tart

Ingredients for lemon curd:
Eggs-3,
Sugar-3/4 cup or 150 gms- ( I have used 100 gms ),
Fresh lemon juice- 5 small or 80 ml,
Butter- 56 gms or 4 tbsp - room temperature- cut into small cubes,
Lemon zest- 1tbsp.

Ingredients for sweet pastry crust:
All purpose flour- 1 and 1/2 cup or 195 gms,
Butter - 100 gms- room temperature,
Granulated white sugar-1/4 cup or 50 gms,
Egg-1-lightly beaten.

Make the lemon curd a day before in advance to let it set overnight.

Method:
In a stainless steel bowl whisk together the eggs ,lemon juice,sugar until blended.

 Place the stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.The heat has to be low.

Cook stirring constantly with a a wire whisk or rubber spatulla until the mixture becomes thick.

This will take 7 to 8 minutes.
If there are lumps strain immediately through a strainer.

Add the cut butter and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted.

Add the lemon zest and cover with a cling film to prevent skin formation.

Leave it to cool.

The lemon curd will thicken as it cools.
Keep the lemon curd in the fridge to set overnight.

Sweet pastry crust:
Place butter in a bowl and beat until soften.

Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the beaten egg ,beating until just incorporated.

Add the flour all at once and mix until it comes together and then make a ball.

Flatten the pastry into a disk.

Cover with a plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 10 minutes ( to firm up the dough).
Lightly butter and flour an 8 inch or 9 inch tart pan.
Once the pastry has chilled evenly pat onto the bottom and up sides of the pan.

Cover with a wrap and put in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Pre heat oven to 400 F or 205 C
Lightly prick with fork the bottom of the pastry crust ( it prevents puffing).

Place the tart pan on a larger baking tray and bake crust for 5 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180 or 350 F.
Continue baking for about 20 minutes or until the crust is dry and golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove the tray and the sides of the tart pan and leave it to cool completely.

Take out the lemon curd from the fridge and with a wire whisk lightly beat it before filling it in the pastry crust.

Once the pastry is at room temperature,evenly fill with the lemon curd.

The tart can be served immediately or can be kept in the fridge until serving time.

The taste of  the sweet crust and the tartness of the  sweet lemony filling goes very well together.

Best the day it is made,but can be kept in the fridge for few days.
You can decorate the tart with whipping cream.
This can be made in small muffin cups or  mini tart pans.
Lemon curd can be used in the filling of cupcakes too.

You can enjoy the lemon tart with any fruit of your liking!

Orange chiffon cake

This is a sponge cake very light, airy and moist!

Ingredients:
Sifted cake flour- 112 gms- 1 cup and 3 tbsp,
Egg-3 and 1 egg white,
 Granulated white sugar ( powdered)- 150 gms or 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup( 1/4 will be used with egg white),
Baking powder- 1/2 tbsp,
Salt- 1/4 tsp,
Canola oil-60 ml or half of 1/2 cup,
Fresh orange juice- 90 to 100 ml or 1/2 cup ( 3 small oranges ),
Orange zest- 1 tbsp,
Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp.

Note: You can make this cake in a round pan,but if tube pan available then it is the best!
I have made this cake in a circular pan with a small tube in the center,since tube pan was not available.

To make one cup of cake flour add 2 tbsp of cornstarch ( cornflour ) in your measuring spoon and fill the rest with all purpose flour or maida.
Level the spoon and then sieve 2 or 3 times.
You will have 1 cup of cake flour.
Sieve the cake flour then measure it for your recipe.

Method:
Separate the eggs when they are taken out from the fridge.
It is easy to separate the egg yolks from egg white when the eggs are cold.
Separate the yolks from the white.
In one bowl 3 yolks and in another 3 whites.Add 1 more egg white to the 3 whites ( 3 egg yolks  and 4 egg whites).
Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes to get to room temperature ).

Grease the bottom  of baking pan only and line it with butter paper.
Pre heat oven to 350 F or 180 C

When we beat the egg whites, the bowl and attachment or beater of the electric machine has to be grease free,otherwise the whites will not rise to stiff peaks.
Since using a electric mixer and there is no separate blade for whisking eggs so beat the egg whites first.
In a clean and grease proof bowl add the 4 egg whites and beat till just frothy in medium speed. 

Run the mixer till you get soft peaks.

Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar beating in high speed till you get stiff peaks.

Keep aside.

In another bowl sieve the cake flour,salt ,orange zest and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Beat for few seconds until combined.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg yolk,oil.orange juice and vanilla essence.

Beat until smooth ( 1 minute).

Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With a rubber spatulla fold in the egg white in three additions into the batter just until blended

.

Pour the batter into the pan.
Run a knife around the batter to remove any lumps or air and then give a light pat on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Half way through ( 30 minutes ) cover the cake with foil as the top layers starts to brown ( it depends on your oven).
Check after 50 to 55 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center if cake is ready.
If toothpick comes out clean then remove the cake from the oven.

Leave it to cool for 10 minutes on wire rack.

Run a sharp knife around the edges.
Invert the cake and remove the center tube.

Invert the cake on a  greased wire rack. Keep the greased paper below the cake as the cake is very soft,tender and moist.
Leave it to cool for one hour on wire rack.

Since it is made with fresh orange juice and the weather is warm,best the day it is made.

Keep in a container in the fridge for few days.
The cake is very spongy to touch and  you get a orange flavour in every bit you have.