Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter (very cold, diced)
  • ¼ cup Icing (Powdered) Sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk only
  • 2 – 4 Tbsp Ice Water
  • ½ tsp Pinch of Salt (for pastry)
  • 1 cup, packed Dark Brown Sugar
  • 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted and cooled)
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 whole Large Eggs (lightly whisked)
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
  • ¼ tsp Pinch of Salt (for filling)

Instructions:

  1. Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, icing sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
  2. Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, diced butter. Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to quickly rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs (pea-sized pieces of butter should still be visible).
  3. Bind the Dough: Mix the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of ice water. Add to the flour mixture. Mix gently until the dough just comes together, adding more water one teaspoon at a time if necessary. Do not overwork.
  4. Chill: Form the dough into a disc, wrap tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for a minimum of 60 minutes.
  5. Preheat Oven & Prepare Tin: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin well.
  6. Mix the Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs lightly. Add the dark brown sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk until just combined—a few lumps of sugar are fine. Do not incorporate too much air.
  7. Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry to about ⅛-inch (3 mm) thickness. Cut out 12 rounds using a 4-inch (10 cm) pastry cutter.
  8. Line and Blind Bake Prep: Gently press each pastry round into the prepared muffin tin cups. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Line each shell with a small paper cup or foil and fill with baking beans.
  9. First Bake: Bake the pastry shells for 10 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven, carefully lift out the beans and paper/foil, and return the shells to the oven for an additional 3 minutes until lightly set.
  10. Fill the Tarts: Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Pour the brown sugar mixture into the warm shells, filling them about ¾ full. Do not overfill.
  11. Final Bake: Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the centre of the filling is just set with a slight wiggle remaining.
  12. Cool Completely: Allow the tarts to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.