This is a version of a frangipane tart or Bakewell tart for all those readers who are allergic to nuts. This uses coconut instead of almonds and I promise does not suffer for it whatsoever. You may find the coconut sponge cooks a little unevenly. I certainly found this the second time (out of three) I made it, but worry not, it’s still a winner.
Lots of great recipes like this in my books, Recipes from a Normal Mum, (available on Amazon, at The Works, Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets) and The Power of Frozen (available second hand through Amazon).
One year ago: Weaning flapjack and White chocolate mousse eggs and Easter chocolate nests with biscuit chicks and Lamb, pea and mint pie with rough puff pastry and Homemade Snickers and Spinach, ricotta and sweet potato lasagne and Mother’s Day afternoon tea and Chocolate chip cookies and Lemon and raspberry trifle
Two years ago: Florentine quiche and Flourless chocolate cake and Cadbury Creme Mini Egg chocolate flapjack and School fair rocky road
Three year ago: White chocolate & cranberry hot cross buns and Cadbury creme egg mess and Banoffee pecan mini pavs
Four years ago: Easter Apostles scone loaf and Carrot cake in a cup for Mother’s Day and Cranberry oaty biscuits
Five years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Puff pastry and Walnut bread
Lemon & coconut tart
Serves 8 – 10
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- 50g icing sugar
- 125g cold butter, cut into 1cm cubes
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the filling and decoration:
- 230g lemon curd
- 150g butter, softened
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 140g desiccated coconut
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 50g icing sugar
- Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp toasted desiccated coconut
Mix together the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips, to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add the egg and use a blunt knife to mix. Use your hands to pull the pastry together, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. To make the topping, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the desiccated coconut and flour and set aside.
Roll the pastry out onto a floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin and use to line a 23cm loose bottomed flan tin. Spoon the curd into the case, then the coconut topping over the top (spoon around the rim first to seal the pastry to the topping) and bake for 35–40 minutes until golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack in the tin. Once cool, remove from the tin and stir a little lemon juice into the icing sugar until it’s of a drizzling consistency. Use a spoon (or transfer to a piping bag) to swirl over the tart. Then sprinkle toasted coconut over the top immediately. (You can toast desiccated coconut by frying in a dry pan over a medium heat for a minute or so. Watch like a hawk and remove from the pan straight after toasting otherwise it’ll carry on frying in the residual heat and burn).
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Holly Bell 