a slice of tartness

 

I've been blogging for almost six years now and still there are many things I haven't said. Many will remain unsaid, but I think it's time I came clean about Christmas. It is, without a doubt, my least favourite time of year. There. Said it.

But the period immediately after Christmas is one of the best in the calendar. I wake up a new woman on December 26, happy that the often over-sweetened season is over, that life can regain  its sweet/sour balance with a little less sugar and little more tartness. It's no coincidence that this is the best season for lemons, and I have made several lemon tarts since Christmas for meals shared with friends. This is today's, still warm and wobbly.

I've been looking for the perfect lemon tart recipe for years (it all started with the holiday in France before the children were born when Simon and I spent a fortnight driving from place to place sampling lemon tarts at every patisserie we found in search of the best lemon tart). This is a pretty good version, a blend of the over-the-top recipe in The Art of the Tart and the sensible recipe in Delia's Summer Collection. Just right for January.