Lemon Drizzle Picnic Pop Tarts

Filled the zingy lemon curd and tangy lemon icing, these pockets of sunshine make for a perfect summer picnic treat, even on the cloudiest of days.

Makes: 6 pop tarts

Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: **

What you will need

Mixing bowl

Indigo and Ivory Cooks dry measure

Flour Sifter

Pastry brush

Pastry Blender

Tala Performance non-stick baking sheet 40cm

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry

240g plain flour

200g unsalted butter, cut into squares

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp water

For the lemon curd filling

2 unwaxed lemons, zest and juice

100g caster sugar

50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 free-range egg, plus 1 free-range egg yolk

Lemon glazed topping

200g icing sugar

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Method

For the lemon curd filling

Begin by making the lemon curd mixture...

1. Put the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the butter into a heatproof bowl and sit it over a pan of gently simmering water.
2. Stir the mixture every now and again until all of the butter has melted, then whisk the egg and egg yolk together and stir this into the lemon mixture.
3. Whisk until all of the ingredients are well combined, then leave to cook for 10-13 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and set aside to cool, stirring occasionally as it cools.
5. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

For the pastry

1. Put the flour and butter together into a large bowl and break the butter up into the flour using a pastry blender. Continue until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
2. Beat together 1 egg and 1tbsp water, then gradually add in 2 tablespoons of this mix to the flour butter mix until you have a dough that come together. Knead it together for a few moments, then bring into a disk shape, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 160C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out onto a lightly floured surface until you have a large rectangle.
4. Cut each sheet into six rectangles 6cm x 10cm, then bring the excess dough together and roll out and cut into six more.
5. Lay out the rectangles onto to baking sheet, then taking two rectangles in turn, brush one entirely with egg and spoon about 1 tbsp of lemon onto the other.
6. Sandwich the two pieces together and use a fork to press the edges together to seal. Brush egg wash across the top and prick the centre with a fork to allow steam to escape. Repeat with remaining rectangles until you have 6 tarts, then put into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden.
7. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack while you make the icing topping.

Lemon glazed topping

1. For the glazed topping zest and juice a lemon then add 2 tbsp of the lemon juice and half the zest into a large bowl. Add the icing sugar and mix until you have an icing that’s a thick enough consistency to top onto the tarts and spread without it running off.
2. Spread the icing onto of the cooled tarts then scatter the remaining lemon zest over the top.
3. The tarts will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

If you’re short on time you can make the pastry ahead of time and freeze, Simply wrap well in clingfilm and tin foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

To defrost: Loosen the tin foil and clingfilm but leave to defrost at room temperature for several hours before adding the filling and icing.