i’ve been whipping up dishes using store-bought puff pastry quite a bit lately. it’s such a handy and diverse weapon in the kitchen, perfect for a light and scrumptious savoury tart like this goat’s cheese and tomato one i showed you last week – which we’ve been hearing has been a hit with a lot of you! but it is just as wonderful for desserts.

i made this lemon and lavender tart recently after discovering a new online treasure trove of hard-to-source ingredients. i was on the hunt for some liquid smoke, not readily available in my local supermarket, when i came across sous chef, and was immediately hooked. despite getting a little carried away throwing white truffle oil, agave nectar and himalayan salt plates into my virtual shopping basket, i managed to not break the bank, and came away inspired to create something a little different in the kitchen. (we’re not being paid to say this, we just think it’s a freakin’ great website!)

while i was browsing, i spotted lavender oil and culinary lavender, and was reminded of a bill granger recipe i saw on television a few months ago but was never able to make, struggling to find the proper edible flowers. so happily, when my magical stash of fun ingredients arrived recently, this tart was my first order of business.

for the lemon curd:

• 200ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 4 whole eggs, plus 4 egg yolks, all lightly beaten
• 100g butter, cubed
• 3/4 drops edible lavender oil

for the tart:

• 375 g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• culinary lavender
• 1 egg yolk, for glazing
• 3 tbsp caster sugar, for sprinkling
• berries of your choice

preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4. to make your lemon curd, place the lemon juice, zest, caster sugar, cornflour, and all of the eggs into a saucepan over a medium heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. keep an eye on it – we want smooth, glossy custard, not scrambled eggs.

take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter until the curd is silken, and add a few drops of lavender oil – about three or four is perfect, it’s seriously strong. set aside to cool. if you’re making the curd ahead and putting it in the fridge, cover with cling film (so it’s touching the curd) to prevent a skin forming, and take it out ten minutes before use.

next, roll our your pastry and trim 1cm off each side. brush the rectangle and strips of pastry with the lightly beaten egg yolk and place the strips around the edge of the rectangle, to form a wall. lightly score a line just inside the strips, and prick the inside with a fork. sprinkle with caster sugar.

place the pastry on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden. set aside to cool, and once it has, gently press down the risen inside of the pastry shell.

fill the tart with lemon curd, smoothing out with a spatula so that it is even, but still has a rustic look about it. dot on whichever berries you’ve chosen (i think raspberries and blackberries look lovely) and sprinkle your culinary lavender over the top. and there you have it – the lemon is tart and creamy, the pastry buttery and crunchy, and the berries add a burst of sweetness on your tongue. the lavender is so subtle, but adds a surprising new flavour that goes so well with the lemon, try it for yourself!

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