
This won’t work with dry verbena leaves so this is a recipe to use if you have a lemon verbena plant or know someone who can give you some (or a cutting).
Between May and late September, I have plenty so if you live near me in Oxfordshire, send me a message and I will give you some.
The secret to the pastry which is almost like a biscuit is to work quickly when it’s very cold.
Pastry
125 g plain flour, sifted
100 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
100 g icing sugar
3 medium egg yolks (reserve white from one egg)
1 tsp whole milk
Filling
40 young lemon verbena leaves
150 ml double cream
5 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
2 lemons, zested and juiced
Decoration
10 verbena leaves pinched from the top of a stem
caster sugar in which to coat the leaves
icing sugar for dusting
Start by making the decoration. Put a piece of baking parchment on a small plate. Whisk the egg white until slightly frothy. Paint the leaves you have selected for decoration with the egg white then sprinkle with caster sugar. Place on the baking parchment and leave somewhere cool to dry out, ideally over night.
Next prepare the first part of the filling. Put the lemon verbena leaves and cream in a pan, bring to the boil then turn off and leave to cool.
To make the pastry, put the flour in a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in the middle, put the butter, icing sugar and pinch of salt and work with your fingertips to add the butter to the flour. Add 2 egg yolks and delicately work in to make an evenly mixed dough. Once the dough is completely smooth, roll into a ball, wrap well and chill in the fridge. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Lightly butter a 22cm, tart tin and chill on a baking tray. Roll out the pastry to 3-4mm thick. Carefully line the tart tin using excess pastry to patch up any tears. Trim the pastry from the rim then using your thumb and index finger gently press the pastry edges up the side of the tin to form a 2mm extended lip. Chill again for at least 20 minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 160C fan. The base of the chilled pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and the paper. Whisk the remaining egg yolk with the milk then brush the base and side with the egg glaze. Bake for 10 more minutes until light and golden. remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven to 140c fan.
To make the filling using a hand blender, whizz the cream and leaves until finely blended, pass through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the cream, eggs, lemon juice and zest. Pour into the pastry case and carefully place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool, dust with icing sugar and decorate with candied leaves.
Lemon Verbena Tart
Ingredients
Pastry
- 125 g plain flour
- 100 g unsalted butter cubed and softened
- 3 medium egg yolks
- 1 tsp whole milk
Filling
- 40 young lemon verbena leaves
- 150 ml double cream
- 5 whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
Decoration
- 10 small lemon verbena leaves
- caster sugar to coat leaves
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Start by making the decoration. Put a piece of baking parchment on a small plate. Whisk the egg white until slightly frothy. Paint the leaves you have selected for decoration with the egg white then sprinkle with caster sugar. Place on the baking parchment and leave somewhere cool to dry out, ideally over night.
- Next prepare the first part of the filling. Put the lemon verbena leaves and cream in a pan, bring to the boil then turn off and leave to cool.
- To make the pastry, put the flour in a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in the middle, put the butter, icing sugar and pinch of salt and work with your fingertips to add the butter to the flour. Add 2 egg yolks and delicately work in to make an evenly mixed dough. Once the dough is completely smooth, roll into a ball, wrap well and chill in the fridge. The pastry can be made up to 2 days ahead.
- Lightly butter a 22cm, tart tin and chill on a baking tray. Roll out the pastry to 3-4mm thick. Carefully line the tart tin using excess pastry to patch up any tears. Trim the pastry from the rim then using your thumb and index finger gently press the pastry edges up the side of the tin to form a 2mm extended lip. Chill again for at least 20 minutes.
- Pre heat the oven to 160C fan. The base of the chilled pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and the paper. Whisk the remaining egg yolk with the milk then brush the base and side with the egg glaze. Bake for 10 more minutes until light and golden. remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven to 140c fan.
- To make the filling using a hand blender, whizz the cream and leaves until finely blended, pass through a fine sieve into a mixing bowl. Whisk in the cream, eggs, lemon juice and zest. Pour into the pastry case and carefully place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool, dust with icing sugar and decorate with candied leaves.
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