Crust Ingredients
150 gr. (1 and 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
120 gr. (1/2 cup) very cold butter chopped
40 gr. (1/4 cup) sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg
Filling Ingredients
150 ml (3/4 cup) water
40 gr. (2 tbsp.) honey (up to 4 tbsp. for sweeter filling)
15 gr. (2 tbsp.) cornstarch
juice and rind of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. butter
1 egg yolk
PROCEDURE for crust
1. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt.
2. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender to form crumbly mixture.
3. Quickly incorporate the whole egg until mixture forms a ball.
4. Knead briefly (4 or 5 times) and wrap dough in plastic film.
5. Chill 1/2 hr. in fridge.
6. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces.
7. Roll out dough into 4 circles (or one large one for single crust)
8. Place into 4 greased and floured tart pans or one large pan.
9. Flute edges, prick bottom with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes at 200deg C (375 F).
Let cool in pans 5 min., then remove to a cooling rack.
Tart crusts removed from pans and cooling
Procedure for filling
1. Boil water with honey and grated rind in a small sauce pan.
2. Turn down to a simmer.
3. Mix cornstarch into the lemon juice until smooth without lumps.
4. Pour lemon juice mixture slowly into the simmering water/honey mixture.
5. Bring to a boil mixing constantly. Remove from heat.
6. Beat the egg yolk and mix in a bit of the hot mixture.
7. Gradually mix in all of the yolk mixture and butter.
8. Simmer filling for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
9. Pour warm filling into each crust. Chill before serving to firm up.
TIP: If you wish to enhance the lemon color you could add 1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder to the boiling water/honey mix. A sprig of mint on top looks nice too.