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This superb dessert is a modification of a lemon meringue pie, that switches out the lemon meringue for a wonderfully light cream topping that goes perfectly with the sweet but slightly tart lemon base.
Any of our sweeteners can be used in the recipe although we do recommend Naturally Sweet Erythritol for the base if possible to create a more crispy pastry.
Everyone is going to love this recipe, whether they are carb lovers or on a strict low carb diet.
Ingredients
Tart Base
- 135 grams almond flour/almond meal
- 35 grams coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons Naturally Sweet Erythritol or Naturally Sweet Monk Fruit Blend
- 1 tablespoon psyllium powder or switch for sugar free protein powder
- 100 gms / 3.5 oz butter
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 egg
- A pinch of salt
Filling Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup Naturally Sweet Erythritol or alternative sweetener
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice or up to 1 cup for a tarter base
- ⅓ cup pure/heavy cream
- ⅓ cup sour cream can be switched for additional cream or marscapone cheese
Cream Topping Ingredients
- 1½ cups pure/heavy cream
- ¼ cup Naturally Sweet Erythritol or alternative sweetener
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest optional but can also be used for garnish
Instructions
To make the tart base
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until blended. Alternatively zap the butter and cream cheese in the microwave until just soft but not melted. Roughly chop up further with a knife. Add remaining tart base ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Shape into a ball and refrigerate covered until dough firms up.
- Line a 20-25 cm pie dish with the dough. Either roll out the dough with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of baking paper or use your fingers to press the dough into the sides and base of the dish. If the dough tears use your fingers to patch it. Create a nice line along the edges by using your fingers to shape it. Trim with a knife if need be. If dough is too soft to use, refrigerate till it firms.
- Use a fork to prick the base all over. Bake at 165 C/ 330 F fan forced for 10 minutes. Then bake covered with aluminium foil for another 5 minutes to prevent browning. Allow to cool while you prepare the filling.
To Make the Filling
- Using a hand beater, beat the eggs, lemon juice, sweetener, sour cream and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. until well blended
- Pour the filling into the pastry base.
- Bake at 165 C / 330 F fan forced for 30 minutes or the filling has set around the edges. The centre can still be slightly jiggly as it will firm up once the lemon tart cools. Cover the edges of the pastry with aluminium foil to prevent further browning of the base if necessary.
- Allow to cool in the fridge for a couple of hours prior to adding the topping
To Make the Topping
- Bloom the gelatin powder in the cold water. Microwave or heat on the stove top until the gelatin dissolves (about 45 seconds in the microwave). Allow it to cool.
- Beat the cream with the sweetener until peaks form. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and cooled gelatin mixture. Continue to whip until the mixture thickens slightly. Spoon onto the cooled lemon filling and level with a spatula. Return to the fridge for 60 minutes prior to serving.
Recipe Notes
Taste the filling mixture before you pour it into the base and adjust the sweetness of the filling to suit your taste if required. You can do the same with the lemon juice.If you use a wider dish to bake in, the filling will not take as long to cook. If it is set on the edges and ever so slightly jiggly in the middle, remove it from the oven.If you don't use the psyllium husk powder, add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to help the pastry bind more.Use blanched almond flour if you want a pastry more like a traditional short crust pastry. The recipe works fine with almond meal as well but it will look a bit more like a whole meal pastry. You will find if you use almond meal that it absorbs more moisture so the base will be slightly drier. If too dry you can add additional butter. Do it sparingly though if needed.If you make the pastry thinner, any left over pastry can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for use at a later date.
Nutritional Information
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.3g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 13.6g | Fiber: 2.9gNote that we calculate our own nutritional values so they may not be precise. Calculate your own if desired. Carb values exclude sugar alcohols such as Erythritol, as they generally have no impact on blood sugar levels. 50% of the carbs from Xylitol is added to nutritional values. This is consistent with industry practice.
