Vegan Lemon Curd Tart
Vegan Lemon Curd Tart
This lemon curd tart has a crisp, 'buttery' pastry shell, with a tangy lemon filling that is perfect for lemon lovers! Whilst it takes extra time to make your own pastry shell, as well as the additional lemon curd setting time, the outcome is definitely worth it!
Lemon curd is one of those condiments that it just delicious as it is... and in a tart with 'buttery' pastry full of lemon, it's the perfect dessert for any occasion. Whether you're out for a party or just fancy something sweet, this tart is one you want to try. The lemon curd is soft, but holds its shape when sliced and it melts in the mouth when you take a bite... you won't be able to resist another bite!
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How can I stop the pastry from shrinking down the sides?
I've found that an easy way is to double the thickness around the top. Once you've placed the pastry in the tart case, trim the excess around the tart case, leaving about an inch. Fold this pastry down the inside of the tart case, and press it into the sides, creating the fluted shape. Then press the top of the pastry all around the sides, to create a flat and even top and that's it... easy! The pastry will still shrink a little in the oven, but will hold up when it cools and keep the filling place.
What can I use to blind bake my pastry?
Baking beans are what we are used to seeing, however uncooked rice works just as well... and it's cheaper! Simply place a sheet of baking parchment over the pastry and fill with your chosen weight, then pop it in the oven - just make sure to store this rice separate from the rest of your rice, as once you've used it to blind bake, you can't eat it (but you can continue to use it to blind bake).
What colours the tart filling?
This tart is naturally coloured from the lemon juice and lemon zest. However, it's the turmeric that gives it the most colour and deepens the yellow. Though if you'd like it to be a little less luminous, you can always use less turmeric and the colour will be less vibrant.
Waxed or unwaxed lemon?
As we use lemon zest in this tart filling, it's good to know which lemons you're using - waxed or unwaxed. To protect the lemon and keep it looking shiny and fresh, they can be coated in wax before transit. So if you use a waxed lemon for zest, you'll be getting a lot of wax in with it. To remove this wax, all you need is some boiling water to soak the lemons in for a few minutes (you may see the wax gather on the surface of the water), then run them under cool water and dry... that's it. Though if you've got some in your fridge and are not sure if they're waxed or not, you may want to wash them just in case!
What thickens the filling?
The filling is mainly coconut cream and lemon juice, which means the consistency largely relies on the coconut cream. As the coconut cream sets, the curd thickens, however it has a soft set which means that the lemon curd filling wouldn't hold its shape when cut if nothing else is added. So, this recipe uses cornstarch to further thicken the curd to a point that it will hold its shape.
How do I store this tart?
Once this tart is set, it can be stored in an air tight container, either in the fridge or out. If stored out of the fridge it will only last 2 - 3 days, but will last up to a week in the fridge. It can be stored whole, or cut into slices and stored (the edges will dry out if it's not stored in a container).
What goes into this lemon curd tart?
Plain Flour - the flour makes up the base of the pastry and provides the texture.
Vegan Butter - baking block butter works best, for taste and texture in baking, so I'd stick with that.
Caster Sugar - the sugar provides a little sweetness to the tart and softness to the pastry.
Salt - this help the pastry to brown and give a lovely golden colour.
Coconut Cream - this cream is what makes up the filling along with the lemon juice. Coconut cream has a relatively soft set, which is why the cornstarch is needed, but it makes a soft lemon curd filling for the tart.
Lemon Juice - this is the other main ingredient of the tart filling, giving the filling it's lemon flavour.
Lemon Zest - adds a little extra hit of lemon.
Turmeric - gives the bright yellow colour to the tart's filling.
Cornstarch - this thickens the tart filling and helps it set.
Dairy-Free Milk - this is the base for the cornstarch to mix with in order to thicken the tart filling.
With this easy pastry and simple lemon filling, this lemon curd tart is great for any occasion. It may not be a quick recipe, with the homemade pastry and setting time for the filling, but the 'buttery' pastry and tangy lemon curd makes it worth it... and definitely for proper lemon lovers! The lemon curd is soft, but holds its shape when sliced and melts in the mouth when you take a bite... you won't be able to resist another bite!
Vegan Lemon Curd Tart
Total Time : 3 hours 45 minutes
Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Chilling Time : 1 hour
Baking Time : 20 - 25 minutes
Setting Time : 2 hours
Ingredients
– For the Pastry –
180g Flour
120g Butter, cubed
1 tbsp Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 - 4 tbsp Water
– For the Filling –
450g Coconut Cream (the cream at the top of tinned coconut milk)
120ml Lemon Juice (2 lemons)
80g Caster Sugar
Zest from 2 Lemons
1 tsp Turmeric
4 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tbsp Dairy-Free Milk
Method
– For the Pastry –
Start by mixing 100g of flour with the sugar and salt. Add in the cubed butter and coat with the flour mix.
Once coated, use your fingers to rub the butter with the flour mixture, until it reaches a breadcrumb-like texture.
Add the remaining 80g of flour and continue to rub the mixture together, until the rest of the flour is worked into the breadcrumb-like mixture.
Then add your water 1 tbsp at a time, using a spatula to help the pastry dough form - the dough should form clumps, but if pressed together should form a dough... so add the water accordingly until it reaches this point.
Once this happens, turn the dough onto a floured work surface and gently work into a ball. Place the dough back into your bowl, cover the top and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
After your dough has been refrigerated, preheat your oven to 220C fan.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out your pastry dough to a size that will fill the pie tin, with some excess hanging over the sides.
Gently transfer your pastry to your tin - by rolling the dough over your rolling pin, you can easily transfer it to your tin.
Gently press the pastry into the tin and gently press the sides into the tin to created the fluted shape. Make sure there is no pastry hanging over the sides and it's all pressed into the tin.
Cover the whole of your pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice.
Place your pastry into the preheated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, remove the parchment and baking beans/rice to prevent it from sweating and leave to one side to cool completely.
– For the Filling –
Place the coconut cream in a pan with the lemon juice, caster sugar, lemon zest and turmeric. On a medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar is melted and it's all combined.
In a bowl or jug, combine the cornstarch and milk. Mix until it forms a pourable consistency.
Once combined, bring the lemon mixture to the boil and slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture, whisking as you do so. Continue to whisk continually until the mixture starts to thicken, for around 5 minutes.
Once thickened, take off the heat and pour the lemon filling into the pastry case, then smoothen the top (to remove any air bubbles, gently tap the tart on the work surface).
Place the tart in the fridge and leave to set fully for 2 hours.
Once set, slice and enjoy!
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