Small tarts with a thin, crisp crust and a firm, fresh lemon cream. Lightly crushed fennel seeds give the pastry a subtle anise-like aroma; the lemon remains clearly to the fore.
These tarts are all about the contrast between a dry, crisp crust and a soft filling that’s firm enough to slice neatly. Lemon juice and zest bring both acidity and fragrant citrus oils to the cream; sugar rounds off the sharp edge, while butter gives it a smooth, rich texture. The fennel seeds go in the pastry only. Lightly crush the seeds to release their warm, anise-like aroma without biting into hard whole seeds.
Lemons are available year-round; selection and origin vary with the season and supplier. For this recipe, choose unwaxed lemons if possible, since the zest goes into the filling. Zest only the yellow part of the peel: the white pith underneath can taste bitter. Juice the lemons just before using, and strain the juice if it contains seeds or a lot of pulp. A fine grater and a small sieve make the job more precise, but you don’t need any complicated specialist equipment.
A pastry crust bakes more evenly when it goes into the oven cold. Blind baking with parchment paper and pie weights keeps the crusts from puffing up; remove the weights afterwards so the base dries out and turns crisp in the center too. Let the shells cool completely before adding the cream. Gentle, even heat is important for the filling: this sets the eggs without turning them into scrambled eggs. Keep stirring and remove the pan from the heat as soon as the cream is thick enough to leave a trail on the spoon.
Fennel seeds are best, but a small amount of anise seeds can be used instead; their flavor is often more pronounced, so use about half as much. For an extra-thin, crisp crust, roll the pastry discs carefully to an even thickness and avoid making the shells too thick. If you don’t have small tart tins, bake one larger tart shell and allow for a longer baking time.
Serve the tarts cold or let them sit briefly at room temperature so the cream feels less firm. A cup of unsweetened tea or coffee goes well with the fresh filling. Cover and refrigerate any leftover tarts and eat them within three days; the crust will become a little less crisp over time. They’re at their best when the cream is thoroughly chilled and set.
Lightly crush the fennel seeds in a mortar. Mix the flour, powdered sugar, fennel seeds and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water. Knead briefly until the dough comes together; add another teaspoon of water if needed. Flatten the dough, wrap it and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 175 °C (top and bottom heat). Divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll each piece out thinly. Line six greased tart tins, about 8 cm across, and trim away the excess dough. Prick the bases several times with a fork and return them to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Line the pastry shells with small pieces of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for another 7–9 minutes, until the crusts are golden. Let them cool completely.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, superfine sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water; the bottom of the bowl must not touch the water. Heat, stirring, for 8–12 minutes, until the cream is thick and reaches a temperature of about 82 °C.
Remove the bowl from the pan. Stir in the butter cubes a little at a time until the cream is smooth. Divide the cream among the cooled crusts and smooth the tops.
Chill the tarts for at least 2 hours to set before serving.
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