The combination of lemon and pine nuts in this sweet tart is a classic.

Photo: Jim Tannock

Pine nuts usually play a starring role in savoury dishes and sauces (pesto, anyone?), but the delicate Italian flavours of this Lemon & Pine Nut Tart allow them to shine in a sweeter setting. Local maker Pinoli Pine Nuts took out the Supreme Champion and Farro Earth Champion Awards at this year’s Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTRY:
300 g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 g unsalted butter
115 g caster sugar
2 small eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons water or vin santo (sweet wine)
3 ½ tablespoons (40 g) Pinoli pine nuts

FOR THE LEMON CURD FILLING:
1 cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 3 lemons
½ cup lemon juice
200 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 eggs lightly beaten
3 tablespoons Pinoli pine nuts

TO FINISH:
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons Pinoli pine nuts
Icing sugar to dust

METHOD

Start by making the lemon curd by placing the sugar, lemon juice and rind and butter in a pot and bring to the boil. Heat a larger pot of water. Remove sugar and butter mixture from heat and whisk in the 4 eggs, place the pot over larger pot of simmering water and stir constantly until sauce is thickened, cool.

For the pastry, sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor and add butter, pulse until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add sugar, eggs and 3 ½ tablespoons raw pine nuts. Pulse again, adding enough water or vin santo until the dough comes together. Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Press into a thick disc and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use to line a lightly greased 23cm loose-based tin.

Lightly toast 3 tablespoons pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden and then cool. Assemble the tart, spooning in the cooled curd filling topped with the three tablespoons of toasted pine nuts. Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the filling, pressing the edges to seal. To finish, beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush over the pastry top, sprinkle over three tablespoons of raw pine nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes until well-risen and golden. Dust with icing sugar and leave to cool for the filling to set. Serve in wedges with crème fraiche, yogurt or cream.