Lemon tart with pine-nut brittle

Sift the flour and icing sugar into a food processor, then blend in the butter until crumbly in texture.

Add the lemon zest, egg and milk and blend until the pastry just comes together. Don’t overwork it. Tip it out onto a floured surface and pat into a circle. Cover with clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 2 cm, then place into a 28 cm tart case, allowing the edges to hang over the edge of the tin. Prick holes into the pastry using a fork, then cover with baking paper and dried beans for blind baking.

Blind bake the pastry for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper and beans and bake for a further 10–15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest until well combined. Whisk in the cream until the mixture is smooth. Pour the filling into the tart case and bake at 150°C for 25–30 minutes, or until just set.

Allow to cool for a few hours.

Just before serving, make the pine-nut brittle. Melt the sugar in a pan over a medium heat. Don’t stir it – rather shake the pan gently until the sugar starts to melt. When it has melted and turned golden brown, pour onto baking paper or a silicone baking mat in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and allow to cool until set. Crack over the tart or blitz in a food processor to make a pine-nut brittle dust to sprinkle over the tart.

Cook's note: I love a good lemon tart. This one is really easy to make, impressive to serve and tastes delicious, too.