Lemon Tartlets

It might be the end of summer but I refuse to stock up on pumpkin puree and talk about autumn dishes...well, maybe in a few weeks but I'm not ready yet. Days are getting shorter and the air is slightly cooler, a lot of people are counting down the days till Halloween and all the food magazines are filled with soups, stews, etc. Time to go back to our daily routine, eat healthier and be productive.

I needed something to lift my spirits and beat that end-of-summer blues, and after checking my endless list of recipe ideas these individual lemon tartlets seemed like a great option to me. You have to agree with me that these cuties look quite irresistible and the super lemony dairy-free custard is so creamy and delicious! It's like bringing a bit of sunshine (and sweetness) to your home, plus they are wholesome and way healthier than the regular lemon tart.

Feels great to be back on track again, it's been almost two weeks without posting new content. Shame on me! But seriously, I've been busy running lots of errands and re-organizing my schedule after the summer holidays. But this time I'm back for good!

Now I'm off to check my favorite cookbooks and get some inspiration for my birthday cake because I only have a few days left and like always I'm in charge of dessert. :-p

¡Receta en español aquí!

Lemon Tartlets
(4 servings)

Ingredients
- For the crust:
1/2 cup kamut flour (khorasan wheat).
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour.
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water.
Pinch of salt.
1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
1 tablespoon coconut sugar.
- For the lemon curd:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk.
3 tablespoons cornstarch.
1/4 cup organic whole cane sugar.
Peel of 1 lemon.
3-4 drops of organic lemon essential oil.
1/4 teaspoon vanilla-flavored turmeric.
1 tablespoon lemon zest.
- To decorate:
Mixed berries of your choice.

Notes:

- You can replace the kamut flour with whole spelt flour or all-purpose flour.

- The vanilla-scented turmeric I use is actually a blend of tumeric, cinnamon, vanilla and other spices. It's the one used for golden milk (turmeric latte). You can use regular turmeric instead of this one.

Directions

- To make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 190 ºC (374 ºF) and lightly grease four small tart tins with nonstick cooking spray or coconut oil (the tins I used are quite simillar to these ones).

In a large mixing bowl sift together the flours and salt and make a well in the center. Pour in the oil and 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Mix with your hands and if the dough is too sticky add a few extra tablespoons of flour. 

Lightly dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough until it becomes soft, pliable and doesn't stick to your hands (this dough won't need much work, though). Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll out each one until they are a little bigger than the tart tins. Press the dough into the prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes approximately, or until golden and firm. They should be easy to remove from the pan once baked. Let cool on a wire rack and set aside while you prepare the lemon custard.

- To make the lemon custard:

Dissolve the cornstarch in two tablespoons of almond milk in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add in the sugar, lemon peel, turmeric, and lemon zest. When the milk begins to boil inmediately remove the lemon peel and reduce the heat to low, it is important that you don't let the milk to boil completely cause we just want to infuse the milk with the lemon peel.

Slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture while whisking continuosly until the custard thickens. 

Remove from the heat and finally add in 3 to 4 drops of lemon essential oil. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap and let it cool at room temperature to allow the custard to fully thicken.

Once cooled spread the custard evenly between the four tart shells and decorate with your favorite berries.