Lemon Tartlets

Place the flour, icing sugar and chilled butter into the bowl of a food processor. Blitz to a crumb-like texture. Pieces of butter should be visible but smaller than a grain of rice.

Add the egg yolk and blitz again until well combined.

With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the water, just enough until it starts clumping together.

Pull the pastry dough into a smooth ball (try not to knead too much). Roll out between two sheets of baking paper to 3mm thick, then place on a tray or flat surface in the fridge to chill for ½ an hour. (Don't skip chilling)

Have a 12 hole muffin tin at the ready.

Using a circle cookie cutter about 1cm larger than the opening of the muffin tin holes, cut out circles of dough. Carefully press each down into the muffin tin holes, gently pressing into the corners. If the dough is getting too soft, chill again. Chill for another half an hour. (Don't skip chilling)

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced.

Prick the bases of the tartlet shells a few times with a fork. Place a cupcake case or piece of baking paper into each, pressing it to the pastry at the bottom, and fill with rice (or pie weights).

Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes then remove the cupcake cases and bake a further 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine sugar, cornflour and salt in a saucepan, then pour in the lemon juice and water. Whisk well to combine. Cook, whisking regularly so you don’t get lumps, until you have a thick gel with big bubbles popping all over the surface.

Take it off the heat and add butter and zest, mix until melted and fully combined.

While whisking vigorously, tip in the yolks and whisk well until fully combined – this is important so the yolks don’t scramble in the hot gel.

Place the saucepan back over the heat and cook for a further minute whisking frequently.

Divide the curd evenly among the cases - each should be full pretty much to the top. Bake a further 5-8 minutes until the curd is level and just starting to bubble.

Let them cool 15 minutes in the muffin tin, then gently give each one a twist and lift it out. Finish cooling on a wire rack. They can be eaten at room temperature or cold.

Store leftover tarts in a cool place for up to 24 hours or in the fridge up to 2 days.