A combination of light lemon cream and delicious seasonal fruit is so inviting, perfect for summer days when you crave something sweet but also refreshing and fruity.

The process of preparing and baking pies and tarts has always been something I genuinely enjoyed. Waking up early in the morning, preparing coffee, and enjoying the fresh air in the kitchen. Putting my apron on and preparing ingredients. Mixing flour and butter. Kneading the dough and rolling it out. Preparing the filling and enjoying how the fragrance of freshly baked pie fills up the house.

Even though I do not bake as much in the summer, fruitcakes and refreshing pies are still very often, and this time I bring you a recipe for a very simple yet so beautiful summer tart. A combination of light lemon cream and delicious seasonal fruit is so inviting, perfect for summer days when you crave something sweet but also refreshing and fruity.

Beautiful seasonal fruit makes this tart so appealing – peaches, apricots, berries, you can use whatever you have at home. For this recipe, I used my standard pie dough recipe that includes eggs. I have changed this recipe a few times until I found the one that I liked the most – not too sweet in flavor, flakey, and light. I usually leave it for 30 to 40 minutes in the fridge until it firms but you can also prepare it a day before, or even freeze it for up to two months.

As the central part of this pie is fresh fruit, I wanted to use a delicate and velvety cream that will accompany the freshness of the fruit but will not overpower it. I opted for an English cream, but instead of using vanilla, I used lemon zest. English cream combines egg yolks, sugar, and milk and usually is aromatized with vanilla stems. By using lemon zest, this cream got a refreshing note, perfect for summer days. Refrigerated before serving, this cake is a summer delight.

Light summer tart with lemon cream
and fresh fruit
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8
Prep. time: 1 hour
Baking time: 25 minutes

For the crust

250g flour

60g  fine brown sugar

Pinch of salt

100g butter, cold from the fridge

1 egg 

FOR THE lemon cream

500ml milk

100g egg yolks (3 larger egg yolks)

80g sugar

Zest of one lemon

FOR DECORATION

4 medium peaches

4-5 apricots

berries of your choice

METHOD

Prepare the crust:

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, chopped butter, egg, and salt. With top of your fingers kneads your dough until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Take your dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. It should not be too thick, around 5mm.
Grease and flour your pan and transfer your dough. With a fork make little holes so your pastry doesn’t rise while baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes until your pastry has a nice golden color.

Prepare the lemon filling:

Prepare the cream by adding egg yolks and sugar into a medium bowl. With a whisk or hand mixer, whisk the eggs until light yellow.
Place milk in a smaller saucepan and add lemon zest. Bring to boil. When the milk is almost boiling, add half of the milk to the egg/sugar mixture and mix gently. Once everything is mixed well, pour the egg-milk mixture back to the saucepan. Stir everything together on low heat, until the cream gets a smooth and consistent texture. Pass through the strainer and leave aside for 5 minutes to cool.

Cover the crust with lemon cream and decorate with the fresh fruit of your choice. Keep the cake in the fridge for up to three days.