Delicious Mini Lemon Tarts with Pine Nuts

Ok, I want to start off by saying that I know this recipe is technically not for a ‘tart’. Tarts have a crust, which you usually bake first. Then the filling, such as lemon curd, is added. These ‘tarts’ don’t have a traditional crust and all the batter is baked at once. But I didn’t feel like ‘lemon cakes’ did these delicious goodies justice! Because you don’t have to make your crust and filling separately and you can bake everything together, these lemon tarts are also much less complicated and time consuming to make. And I assure you they’re just as delicious! They’re perfect for beginners or for those who don’t have too much time to spend in the kitchen, but still want a deliciously fresh homemade dessert. They always manage to impress!

Ingredients

(yields a minimum of 6 mini tarts)

• 100g (½ cup) of unsalted melted butter

• 80g (¼ cup + 2tbsp) of granulated sugar

• 2 medium-sized eggs

• 100g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) of all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp of vanilla powder

• 6 tbsp of milk

• 1 tsp of baking powder

• 2 organic lemons

• 60g (½ cup) of pine nuts

• Powdered sugar

How to Prepare

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180°C (350°F). Remove 1 oven tray from the oven and set aside.

2. Gather all your ingredients. Start with melting your butter. You can do this in a pan on low heat or gently in the microwave.

3. Crack the eggs and beat in a bowl.

4. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk thoroughly until a smooth, frothy mixture appears.

5. Rinse the lemons thoroughly before zesting them. You need to zest the entirety of the lemon peels. Then, squeeze the juice out of 1 lemon. If you prefer a subtler lemon flavor in your tarts, you can halve the ingredients (zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½ a lemon).

6. Add the vanilla powder, the flour and the baking powder to your eggs. Whisk gently while adding the ingredients.

7. Add the melted butter, the milk and the lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix gently together.

8. Place your silicone muffin pan onto the oven tray you set aside. If you don’t have a silicone muffin pan, I recommend using cupcake liners to ensure that the tarts don’t stick to the pan.

9. Scoop the batter into the muffin pan. To ensure you have at least 6 portions, start by filling 6 of the cups about ¾ of the way equally. Then divide the remaining batter between additional cups.

10. Sprinkle pine nuts on top of each cake.

11. Place the muffin pan in the pre-heated oven for +-20 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Let the lemon tarts cool down on a cooling rack.

These lemon tarts can make a perfect snack for an afternoon coffee or tea. Alternatively, serve them as a dessert after dinner. Pairs beautifully with berries (strawberries, raspberries, etc.) or with a scoop of ice cream.

Tip for dinner parties: 

You can make your batter in the morning (up to and including step 7). Store the batter in the refrigerator, covered by saran wrap (cling wrap). Remove from refrigerator at least 1 hour before baking the batter. Complete steps 8 – 12 and simply bake à la minute. Dessert straight out of the oven!

More Food for Thought...

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