Lemon Posset Tart with Hazelnut Crust

When my online grocery shopping was delivered last week there was the Ocado magazine included in it.  That magazine had a number of recipes that are suitable for summertime.  One of them was Lemon Posset Tart, which used hazelnuts in the tart crust.  

I have made lemon posset many times, it is a rich, silky smooth dessert which is very simple to make with only three ingredients, lemon, cream and sugar.   The combination, when the double cream is boiled with the sugar first and then with the lemon added off the heat, sets to a firm and silky smooth texture. 

When I have made it in the past I usually make some biscuits/cookies, to eat with it.  But the idea of setting the posset in a tasty crust seemed so good that I just had to try it. 

Although everything about the recipe is very simple it does take a long time.  That is because the posset, once in the tart crust, has to be set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.  But the actual work involved in making the tart isn’t too much at all.

The resultant tart is simply delicious, with the crisp and flavourful tart crust giving a crunchy texture to accompany that silky lemon mousse.   Mine turned out very well indeed and was thoroughly enjoyable to eat.  

The process is simple really starting with making the dough

and filling the tart tin.

Then the pastry needs to be chilled as the oven is preheated.  Then the tart crust needs to be blind baked, including brushing with egg white and doing a second bake after removing the baking beans.

Then the tart crust can cool and be set aside while the posset is made.  Which simply involves boiling the sugar and cream, with the lemon zest, for about 5 minutes.  The mixture can then be sieved to remove the zest, if preferred as I do.

The lemon juice is then stirred into the cream, which quickly starts to thicken.  The posset is then left to cool before being poured into the tart crust and refrigerated until fully set.

Then it is ready to serve.

Lemon Posset Tart with Hazelnut Crust

Recipe by geoffcoo

Ingredients

• 140g(1 cup minus 2 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour

• 50g(1/2 cup) ground hazelnuts

• 100g(7 tbsp) unsalted butter

• 150g(3/4 cup) caster sugar, for the posset

• 50g(1/4 cup) caster sugar for the pastry

• 1 medium egg(large in USA),, separated into yolk and white

• 600ml(2 1/3 cups + 4 tsp) double cream, or heavy cream

• 3 from 3 lemons

• 15ml (1 tbsp) cold water

Directions

• Place the flour, 50g sugar and hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz for a few seconds.
• Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Add the egg yolk and about 1/2 the water and process until the mixture forms a dough, adding more water if required.
• Place the dough onto the base of a 23cm/9 inch loose bottomed tart tin.
• Press the dough over the base and up the sides of the tin until it is evenly covered.
• Place the tart in in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F.
• Prick the base of the pastry  all over with a fork.
• Line the base with parchment paper and then fill with baking beans, and then bake the pastry for 15 minutes.
• Remove the tart tin from the oven and take out the baking beans and parchment paper.
• Brush the entire surface of the pastry with beaten egg white.
• Place the tart tin back in the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, then take it out and allow it to cool.
• Place the cream, 150g sugar and the lemon zest into a saucepan and stir to combine.
• Put the pan on the stove and bring to the boil stirring all the time.
• When boiling point is reached turn down the heat but continue boiling, stirring, for 5 minutes.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and, if you wish to, strain through a sieve into a jug, to remove the zest.
• Allow the mixture to cool a little, may be for 5 minutes and then add the lemon juice and stir to fully combine.
• Allow the mixture to cool, covering with some plastic wrap.
• Pour the cooled posset into the baked tart crust.
• Place the tart into the fridge, covered, and allow to set up completely, for at least 4 hours.
  Then it will be ready to serve.