Lemon Tart with Pumpkin Seed Crunch

Preparation

1. For the shortcrust pastry, cut the cold butter into pieces and quickly knead together with all the remaining ingredients into a firm dough (use the flat beater or dough hook if using a mixer). If kneading by hand, work as quickly as possible so the butter doesn’t get too warm and the dough doesn’t turn crumbly. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour, longer if possible.

2. Meanwhile, for the cream, cut the butter into 1 cm cubes and keep chilled. Soak the gelatine in cold water. Juice the lemons, strain through a sieve, and measure out 170 g of juice. Whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, and both types of sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Heat over a bain-marie to 80 °C (176 °F). Squeeze out the gelatine and dissolve it in the hot mixture, then reduce the heat. Beat the eggs, whisk them in, and stir them in one at a time using a hand blender. Continue whisking the mixture over the bain-marie. Once the cream reaches 72 °C (162 °F), thickens, and turns paler, gradually whisk in the cold butter until fully incorporated. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill.

3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (355 °F) conventional heat. Carefully roll out the shortcrust pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface. It’s easier to lift and transfer the dough into the tart tin if you use a sheet of parchment paper underneath. Press the dough into the tart tin and trim the edges evenly. Cover the dough with parchment paper and fill the tin with dried beans or rice to weigh it down. Blind-bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. If the pastry is still too pale, remove the legumes and parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Let cool afterwards.

4. For the pumpkin seed crunch, caramelise the sugar, toss the pumpkin seeds briefly in it, then remove from the pan and let cool.

5. For the meringue, bring 100 g of the sugar and the water to a boil in a small pot until it reaches around 120 °C (248 °F). Whisk the remaining sugar with the egg whites in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the hot sugar syrup while continuing to whisk, then whisk until cool. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

6. Now assemble the tart. Remove the pastry shell from the tin and place it on a serving plate. Spread the cream evenly over the pastry. Pipe the meringue on in small dollops and briefly torch with a kitchen blowtorch.

7. Finely chop the pumpkin seed crunch and lightly sprinkle it over the meringue.

   What Is Press Cake?

   During the gentle roasting and subsequent pressing of pumpkin seeds, valuable press cake is produced alongside the well-loved pumpkin seed oil. It contains high-quality protein, plenty of fibre, and important minerals. This high-quality by-product is increasingly becoming a trend in healthy cooking. With a protein content of around 60%, it fits perfectly into a modern diet. Fitness enthusiasts use pumpkin seed flour in smoothies, shakes, and bars as an extra source of protein. It’s also popular in baking – 10 to 25% can replace conventional flour to bring new nutty flavour nuances to bread, cakes, or pancakes.