Food

Serves 8
Takes 1 hour to make. 1 hour 10 minutes to cook. Plus cooling.

Ingredients:
4 Seville oranges (or the grated zest of 4 small oranges and the juice of 2 lemons and 2 oranges)
6 medium free-range eggs
250g caster sugar
150ml double cream

For the pastry:

175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
50g icing sugar
100g chilled butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing
Finely grated zest of 1 small orange(not sevile)
1 large free-range egg, separated
2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice


1. To make the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar and a small pinch of salt into a food processor, add the chilled butter and the orange zest. Pulse until it looks like fine breadcrumbs, then tip into a mixing bowl.

2. Mix the egg yolk with the orange juice, add to the bowl, then stir with a round bladed knife until the mixture starts to come together into a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until the mixture forma a smooth dough.

3. Roll the pastry out thinly on a lightly floured surface, then use to line a lightly greased, 4 cm deep, 23 cm loose- bottomed flat tin. Prick the base all over with a fork, then chill for 20- 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 200 C/fan 180/ gas 6. Line the pastry case with a crumpled sheet of baking paper and a thin layer of beans or rice, then blind bake for 12- 15 minutes until the edges of the pastry are biscuit colored. Carefully remove the paper and beans/rice, then return the pastry case to the oven for 3-4 minutes.

5. Beat the egg white until slightly frothy, then brush it over the bases and the sides of the pastry case. Return the case to the oven for another 1-2 minutes until set. Remove and leave to cool. Turn the oven down to 120C/fan 100 C/gas 1/2.

6. For the tart filling, finely grate the zest from the oranges, then set aside. Squeeze the juice from the seville oranges (or from the lemons and 2 of zested oranges) to give 180ml. Break the eggs into a bowl, add the caster sugar, then whisk gently with a fork until just mixed but not frothy. Strain the citrus juice, add the double cream, then mix briefly. Strain through a sieve into a large measuring jug, then stir in the citrus zest.

7. Partly pull out the shelf of the preheated oven, slide the pastry case onto it, then pour in the filling. Carefully slide the shelf back in and bake for 40-45 minutes or until just set.
(I thought why do i need to play around with the filling in the oven, so took it out and poured it on place on the kitchen counter. When I had to walk with the tart ,real slow and not to spill the filling , while i walked toward the oven, I understood why that step was very important and was just not some fancy thing to do! :( ). It should still be a little wobbly in the centre, but will firm up as it cools. Remove and leave to cool, but don't refrigerate. This is best served, cut into wedges, on the day it's made.

And my Tart was.......
The zester (does this word exist)that I used made long thin rinds. I should have used a zester that cut them in thin small pieces, like sprinkles. But it tasted really nice and even the pastry was so delicious. It does take some time to get all the juices and did use more dishes than needed, but worth it and was fun to make. I served this to my Mums and Tots group, as they are indeed my guinea pigs to my testing to sweet things!