A Raunchy Proposition

I’ve never been one to pander to such indecent propositions; I’m just not that kind of girl, however when this proposal was put forward by Jeanne of Cooksister! in her Waiter, there’s something in my… event, this proposition proved too cheeky to resist. The proposition? Topless Tarts. (Cue burlesque music and feather boa striptease)

I can’t help but give out a little schoolgirl chuckle when saying what the theme is for this month’s WTSIM event. And who can keep a straight face when saying those two words one after the other, topless – tart? I know that it turns me into a giggling juvenile, sniggering as if I were a 10-year old. And I can see you now, attempting to thwart that grin creasing on your face, a million mischievous visions conjured up in your imagination at the mention of a topless tart.

So I know were talking about topless tarts, but this is still strictly a food blog and I certainly do not want to solicit any questionable material on my site; so make sure you're minds don't somehow stray into the gutter. This post is rated G, so don't get any ideas. The kind of tart I am referring to is the food variety, and the topless part only refers to its lack of a pastry covering.

So I'm sorry to disappoint you if you were looking for a more adult type of tart, but I think this one will appeal to you just as much as the other kind. It's Glazed Lemon Tart that is less naughty and more nice.

I have never been a huge fan of lemon tarts filled with curd, I always find the curd too sharp and acidic and I end up scrunching my face into ridiculous contortions while eating them because I find most curd tarts too sour for my tastes. So as opposed to a lemon tart filled with curd, this lemon tart's filling is sweetened with condensed milk and made light with egg whites.

The result is a feathery-light filling that isn't too sour and is just sweet enough. I did reduce the amount of condensed milk by about 145ml, which just gave the right balance of sweet and sour. The great thing is this tart is tempting inside and out, the vanilla flecked pastry adds that little bit of oomph to the dessert. And I think the best part is the caramelised crust that provides that little bit of juxtaposition between the spongy filling and crunchy crust. And what better excuse to be using a blowtorch around the kitchen.

Check out the round up of more topless beauties later this week at Cooksister!

Glazed Lemon Tart with Caramelised Oranges
Recipe adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller
Serves 8



SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Blowtorch (not necessary but advantageous)

FOR THE VANILLA BEAN PASTRY
185g plain all-purpose flour
120g pure icing (confectioner’s) sugar
115g chilled butter, coarsely chopped
½ vanilla bean, scraped seeds, pod discarded
2 egg yolks

FOR THE TART FILLING
4 egg yolks
250g condensed milk
2 lemons, juiced and with rind finely grated
2 eggwhites
55g (¼-cup) caster sugar, plus extra for dusting

FOR THE CARAMELISED ORANGES
220g (1-cup) caster sugar
1 orange, juiced
30ml Cointreau
4 oranges, thinly sliced

TO MAKE THE PASTRY
Process flour, icing sugar, butter and vanilla seeds in a food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add egg yolks and process until pastry just comes together.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bring pastry to room temperature.
Lightly grease 8 x round fluted flan tins with removable base.
Roll pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thick and line flan tins, trimming excess pastry, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Blind bake pastry for 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
Carefully remove baking paper and pastry weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes until crisp, then cool.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
Whisk egg yolks in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water until thick and pale.
Add condensed milk and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Pass through a fine sieve, then add lemon rind.
Using an electric mixer, whisk eggwhites until soft peaks form, then slowly add sugar and whisk on high until sugar has dissolved and meringue is glossy.
Add meringue to lemon mixture and fold gently to combine.
Pour into prepared tart cases and bake for 10 minutes or until centre has just set (don’t let the top colour too much).
Cool, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until cold.

TO MAKE CARAMELISED
For caramelised oranges, combine caster sugar and 200ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes or until golden.
Add orange juice and Cointreau, stirring to dissolve sugar, then pour over sliced oranges in a heatproof bowl.
Cover and refrigerate until needed.

TO SERVE
Dust tarts with caster sugar and, using a blowtorch, gently caramelise top. Serve immediately with oranges and double cream.