Some of the most tartly delicious lemons in the world grow in Tafraout, and this is a delicious way to use them.
The pastry is a rich shortcrust, bound with an egg yolk:
180g plain flour (plus, secret ingredient, one tsp baking powder: trust me) 90g butter, cubed 1 egg yolk and a little water to bind
Keep all your ingredients cold and rub the fat into the flour with cold hands or in a food processor. Beat the egg yolk with a little water (1-2tbsps) and use a knife to bind the pastry till you can make a ball of it. Try to handle as little as possible, then put it into the fridge for half an hour, or the freezer for 10 minutes. Roll out quite thin and then grease a bun tin and cut out rounds which will come up just over the lip of each cup. Prick the base and bake blind with baking beans, or a scrumple of tinfoil. The pastry will try to rise because of the baking powder: don’t worry, just press it down when it comes out. Give it 20-25 mins in a medium over, 200 degrees, till it has taken just a little colour and feels crisp.
For the lemon filling: The juice of 4 small lemons or 3 large ones The zest of 2 lemons 3 egg yolks + one whole egg, all whipped together 100g butter 80g caster sugar (I like the filling tart: you may prefer it sweeter) 1 tsp cornflour mixed to a paste with a little of the lemon juice.
Over a low heat melt the butter into the lemon juice (which you can top up with water to 200ml if your lemons are not as juicy as ours); add the zest, the cornflour and then the egg mix, and be careful to keep stirring well so that the egg does not cook but blends into the mixture. Keep stirring and stirring over a low heat: all at once it will start to thicken dramatically. Keep stirring for another couple of minutes, then take off the heat.
Allow the mixture to cool a little, then spoon into the pastry cases and return to the oven to set for 10 minutes or so at a low heat, then take them out of the baking tray and allow to cool on a rack.
Et voila! They keep for 3 or 4 days.