Holiday recipes: Lemon tarts

Photo: Bill Everitt

Lemon tarts are a dessert (or anytime holiday snack) that my grandmother Jean faithfully baked every Christmas season of my life and my mother's before me.

You end up with a flaky pastry cup and the liberty to add as much lemon curd as you wish - Freedom.

Lemon Tarts

Pastry

• 2.5 cups flour
• 11 tablespoons shortening
• 3 tablespoons COLD water
• 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. Combine flour and shortening in a bowl and combine together with your fingers or two knives until at a breadcrumb consistency
2. Add water and form into two balls
3. Dust board and rolling pin with flour and roll out one ball
4. Use a glass to cut circles in dough to fit into a muffin tin
5. Press circles into tin
6. Brush with beaten egg and pierce with a fork
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown
8. Let cool and fill with your favourite lemon curd (found in the jam section)
9. My family has used E.D Smith lemon curd for the past 25 years, however this year we branched out and are trying Mackay's lemon curd.

Also check out recipes for tourtiere.