Golden Syrup and Brown Butter Tart

Pastry: Put the flour, salt, icing sugar and the orange zest in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse to coarse crumbs. Combine the egg and water and add to the mixture pulsing again until the pastry just starts to come together. Tip onto the bench and form into a disc. Wrap and chill until firm.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line the tin. Refrigerate or freeze until firm. Bake blind* for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Cool. Cut leaves from the remaining pastry and place on a baking tray. Brush with milk and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake until golden and crisp.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C, not fan bake. If your oven only has fan bake, reduce the heat to 150°C.

Fillling: Put the butter in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until it stops bubbling, is foamy on the surface and a darkish golden colour. This means the water has evaporated and you are left with ‘brown’ butter. Strain into a bowl and leave for 10 minutes.

Whisk the eggs, cream and salt together.

Warm the golden syrup in a saucepan, but don’t let it boil, and whisk in the brown butter. Stir in the egg mixture, crumbs, lemon zest and juice. Pour into the tart case and bake for 60 minutes until the filling is a dark golden colour and firm. Remove and cool to room temperature before removing from the tin.

To serve: Arrange the pastry leaves on top and dust with icing sugar. Serve with softly whipped cream. 

*To bake blind: line a prepared pastry case with baking paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. (The beans support the pastry as it cooks). Bake in a preheated hot oven (190°C-200°C) for 10-20 minutes before removing the paper and weights. The shell should now have taken form. Return the tart to the oven for the specified cooking time.

Baking beans are ceramic or metal ‘beads’ which can be re- used over and over again. Available from cookware stores.