I never used to have a sweet tooth (or should that be teeth) but now I do. Savoury was always more my thing, starters not puddings or crisps, cheese and a glass of wine to be entirely honest – I could make a packet of chocolate buttons last at least a week. Since I have had children however, I adore cakes, chocolates and puddings like never before. My father loved a pud and my son doesn’t think a meal is complete without one so it must be hereditary! These little tarts came about because a) something sweet was required and b) the wherewithal (half a pack of pastry and half a jar of lemon curd) was in the fridge and needed using up.
These are as easy or as hard as you want to make them really. With (really good) bought pastry shells or pastry and lemon curd they are fabulous. If you make your own sweet pastry and use some home made lemon curd then they will sing out even further. I am happy to take either route but in truth am more likely to make pastry than lemon curd – you must do as you please.
However you get there, sweet crisp pastry filled with a smooth lemon filling and topped neatly or tumbled with raspberries is a thing of beauty. Having made these little ones I also had a go at a larger tart which was just as delicious but somehow it is the baby ones which win my heart. So, a really easy summery pudding and one which I’m sure will garner you many ooh’s and aah’s. By the way, should you come across some passion fruit curd, grab it and make these, it is a sublime combination.
Because this was a case of using up leftovers my recipe is annoyingly unspecific – what I used was half a pack of sweet pastry which I rolled and cut out, baked blind for 10 minutes at 180 and then for a further 5 minutes without the baking beans. I mixed half a jar of lemon curd with half a tub of marscapone, put a blob in each cooled pastry shell and topped with raspberries.
This recipe is entered One Ingredient June 2013 hosted by Franglais Kitchen and How to Cook Good Food and Simple and in Season hosted by Ren Behan.
Ooo yum! This has my name written all over it – I love desserts that have raspberries and lemon in them!
This looks gorgeous! Although I’m not much of a dessert person I won’t mind gobbling these up. I see you used Tiptree’s lemon curd. Any good?
Thank you Michelle! The Tiptree lemon curd works well, it has a true taste and isn’t over sweet.
These look so lovely and the lemon curd/mascarpone combination sounds delicious. I have great hopes for my raspberries this year so definitely plan to try these gorgeous tarts.
Yes, my raspberries are looking promising, now they just need some sun. Hope they flourish, nothing did very well last year!